Chapter 199: Chapter 199: Are You Laughing at Me?
A little over ten minutes passed quickly, and the shop owner brought out the custom-made Space Chain.
"Miss, please take a look. Does anything need to be adjusted?"
Shi Lan took it and examined it for a moment. She grew more fond of the Space Stone on it the longer she looked; a milky-white gem, about the size of a fingernail, was embedded in the silver chain. The piece as a whole exuded an understated yet luxurious quality.
She nodded in satisfaction. "It’s lovely."
The shop owner smiled and shot Jiang Xia a meaningful glance.
Jiang Xia didn’t get it at first, only understanding the owner’s meaning when he saw Shi Lan getting ready to put the necklace on.
He immediately offered eagerly, "Lanlan, let me help you put it on."
Shi Lan didn’t refuse and handed him the Space Chain. She stood still as Jiang Xia carefully gathered her hair to one side, concentrating intently on fastening the necklace for her.
However, the sight of her slender, soft, and dazzlingly pale neck threw him off. He fumbled with the clasp, unable to fasten it for the longest time.
The pads of his fingers accidentally brushed against her skin several times. The warm, smooth contact made his chest tighten, and his throat went inexplicably dry. He leaned in unconsciously, as if trying to get a better look at the clasp.
Feeling his increasingly hot, moist breath on the back of her neck, Shi Lan cleared her throat uncomfortably and prompted, "Are you done yet?"
The shop owner, ever so discreet, simply kept his eyes down and tidied the items on the counter.
The daze in Jiang Xia’s mind cleared instantly. He stared at her pale neck, so close he could have kissed it by moving just two centimeters. His Adam’s apple bobbed several times before he guiltily straightened up. "Almost done."
With that, he didn’t dare let his mind wander again, forcing himself to push aside all distracting thoughts.
This time, he finally managed to fasten the Space Chain.
Shi Lan found a nearby mirror to look at herself. To hide the Space Bag underneath, her dress had a rather high and conservative neckline.
But now the Space Chain rested on top of her clothes. She saw that it was indeed very versatile and suited her dress perfectly.
Few girls dislike beautiful jewelry, and Shi Lan was no exception. She admired herself in the mirror for a good while, then tested the Space Chain by stuffing the doll bouquet she was holding into it. Finally, a smile graced her full, red lips.
"I love it. Thank you, Jiang Jiang."
She couldn’t help but say it to him again. The warmth of her skin still lingered on the pads of Jiang Xia’s fingers. Unlike her hands, her neck seemed even more delicate, almost silky. And perhaps because her hair rested there, her fragrance was even richer.
His fingers grew warm, and as if longing for that touch, they twitched slightly.
He only seemed to snap out of it when Shi Lan spoke to him. The tips of his ears under his long, silver hair turned bright red. He pressed his lips together, then broke into a delighted smile. "As long as you like it, Lanlan."
After buying the Space Chain, the thought that she was suddenly wearing tens of millions around her neck made it feel heavy. Shi Lan couldn’t resist tucking the chain under her clothes.
Jiang Xia noticed and blinked in confusion. "Lanlan, it looked so good just now. Why’d you hide it?"
Shi Lan whispered, "It’s too expensive. I’m afraid someone will try to rob me."
He hadn’t expected that reason and burst out laughing so hard that tears nearly came to his eyes. His sharp canine teeth even left little imprints on his full, red lips.
"Don’t worry, Lanlan. When we bought the Space Stone, it was personally registered to you. Even if someone found it, they wouldn’t be able to use it. Plus, it has a tracking locator. Besides, the people who buy Space Chains are generally rich and powerful. No one would be stupid enough to try something like that."
It was just like the shop they had just been in.
On the outside, it looked no different from an ordinary store, but it was actually filled with hidden surveillance cameras. The owner also had a lot of connections in the military. If a thief ever struck, they wouldn’t even make it out of the mall.
In short, even thieves knew to pick on easy targets.
Shi Lan felt a bit more at ease after his explanation. She hadn’t thought it through that much, she was just worried because she subscribed to the idea that one shouldn’t flaunt their wealth.
However, she pouted unhappily and gave Jiang Xia a playful pinch. "Are you making fun of me?"
Although Jiang Xia had never had a female he liked before, his survival instincts kicked in. He knew this was not the time to say ’yes’. He immediately squeezed her hand placatingly and kneaded it gently. "No, no, of course not."
Shi Lan snorted. She looked fierce, but her eyes were full of teasing laughter.
For the rest of their time out, to prevent any more oblivious males from running over and stuffing things into Shi Lan’s hands, Jiang Xia took the clever initiative of leading her around the mall, buying her heaps of gifts, both big and small.
Shi Lan held his hand with one of hers, while the other was already laden with bags. The bags were empty, however; Jiang Xia was carrying all the actual items. It was just for show, a way to deter outsiders.
Seeing him buy so many things for her, Shi Lan felt bad letting him be the only one to spend money, so she took him to a specialty store for male products.
This wasn’t the same shop where she’d bought the perfume. The perfume that shop owner recommended last time had led to a bizarre misunderstanding, so Shi Lan felt he was completely unreliable and deliberately avoided that store.
But she never expected this specialty store to be owned by the same person—and for that same owner to be there.
He clearly had a very vivid memory of Shi Lan; after all, it was the first time he’d ever seen a female buy five bottles of Jasmine at once.
It was rare enough for a female to deign to pursue a male, but she was going after five?
So, the moment Shi Lan walked in, the owner glanced at Jiang Xia beside her and asked with a mysterious smile, "Miss, how did it go? Did those males all like it?"
The moment Shi Lan saw him, she knew this could only be bad news. Her mouth twitched, and she barely resisted the urge to turn around and walk right back out.
Jiang Xia, however, thought Shi Lan had other males. His eyes widened in alarm, and he looked at her, his tone both aggressive and pitifully wronged. "Lanlan, aren’t the five of us enough for you? Just how many Beast Husbands do you want?"
Hearing this, the owner assumed this female was cheating on her Beast Husbands at home with many others. He instantly clammed up, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire, and even took a few steps back.
Shi Lan shot a death glare at the owner, then quickly explained the situation to Jiang Xia.
Only then did Jiang Xia learn that Shi Lan had only bought the Jasmine because she’d followed this man’s recommendation.
He still remembered that moment of devastation when he learned it was all a misunderstanding, that Lanlan didn’t like them at all, and he thought he’d lost his wife.
If Lanlan hadn’t been willing to stay in prison with them, he would have felt like his world had ended, that his life was over.
Just recalling that feeling made Jiang Xia’s chest feel tight and his breathing labored, weighed down by a heavy sense of misery.
He couldn’t even bear to imagine Shi Lan not wanting him.
And so, he shot a ferocious glare at the shop owner. The oppressive force of his 2S Spirit Power radiated from him unconsciously, making it seem as if he might tear the shop apart at any second.
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