Chapter 53: Clothes Make the Man

"Chen Fan has no idea where he moved. We completely lost touch with him now."

After leaving the room, Lü Chunijiao did not immediately go to comfort Guo Yue'er. She certainly hadn't forgotten what her primary mission was.

Wan Yongwang furrowed his brow deeply.

"What is Guo Yue'er doing?"

"Uh... she's rummaging through the trash."

"?"

"It seems she saw something in the garbage heap that she used to give to Chen Fan—sort of like a token of their affection? I'm not really sure."

"Forget about that woman. Come back."

Wan Yongwang's voice carried a heavy sense of disgust. Just the thought of Guo Yue'er rummaging through a pile of trash made his stomach turn.

"Understood."

Hearing that she no longer had to wait on Guo Yue'er, Lü Chunijiao beamed with joy.

She didn't even have the slightest desire to go and say goodbye to Guo Yue'er. She just grabbed her bag and turned to leave. Because of this idiot, she had spent quite a bit of her own money today; she needed to get back to the company and ask if she could get a reimbursement first.

It was the first time Guo Yue'er had been so obsessed with retrieving an item.

It was a small teddy bear she had given Chen Fan back in high school. He had sworn an oath back then that he would cherish it forever.

Seeing that Chen Fan had not only moved away but had also thrown away something akin to their token of love, Guo Yue'er panicked completely. Chen Fan's hot-and-cold behavior toward her over this period made her realize one thing.

She seemed to rely on Chen Fan far more than she had ever imagined. She wasn't sure if that was love, but she knew for certain that she couldn't live without Chen Fan!

If that was the case, did whether she liked him or not even matter anymore?

At that moment, only a single thought remained in Guo Yue'er's mind: go find Chen Fan.

Chen Fan, please don't walk away. You promised me you would always wait for me.

I'll break up with Wan Yongwang, just wait for me a little longer.

Finding the little bear, Guo Yue'er clutched it tightly to her chest and hurried toward the residential complex gates. She needed to hail a cab to Xinghai, the only place she knew where Chen Fan might still show up.

And this time, she would absolutely never abandon Chen Fan again to go after someone else.

......

"Achoo!"

In the underground parking garage of Xinghai Corporation, Chen Fan suddenly sneezed. He turned his head to look at Chen Mengting.

"Are you secretly cursing me behind my back?"

"As if! Do I need to curse you secretly?"

Chen Mengting smiled without any warmth, her mind entirely occupied with figuring out how to get Chen Fan's phone and delete that recording.

"...Fair point."

Chen Fan took out the spare elevator card Peng Jiaxin had given him, entered the executive elevator, and headed straight for the top floor.

Peng Jiaxin had been waiting for a long time.

"Sister-in-law~ Chen Fan is bullying me."

The moment they met, Chen Mengting threw herself aggrievedly into Peng Jiaxin's arms, putting as much sorrow and grievance into her voice as humanly possible.

Chen Fan: "......"

Why didn't I realize before that you had so much acting talent in you?

"It's fine. Later, sister-in-law will help you teach him a lesson."

"Yeah! Sister-in-law, you must be hungry. Come try the food I brought. To keep it from getting cold, I carried it the whole way here!"

"It's in an insulated container! It wouldn't get cold even if you didn't hold it!"

Looking exasperated, Chen Fan pulled Chen Mengting away from Peng Jiaxin's embrace. He shouldn't have brought this pest along.

A total flatterer—she had already said all his lines for him, leaving him with nothing to say!

"Come on, wife, I'll feed you. Say *ah*~"

"Sister-in-law, this braised pork is delicious, eat mine instead."

Peng Jiaxin looked between the bickering siblings vying for her attention, feeling a mix of amusement and helplessness.

"Stop messing around. Hand me the chopsticks. Once you're done eating, the two of you go change your clothes, I'll take you out for a stroll."

"Where are we going?"

"A small charity auction."

Soon enough, the three of them had eaten their fill. Peng Jiaxin summoned Assistant Ye into the office, and following closely behind her were a team of stylists and makeup artists.

"Let's start with Mengting first. Did you bring the clothes?"

"Yes."

Assistant Ye stepped aside to reveal a row of ready-and-waiting brand representatives pushing clothing racks filled with the absolute latest seasonal fashion pieces.

"Alright, let's begin."

Peng Jiaxin's office was massive—large enough to accommodate a dozen brand representatives wheeling in clothes all at once, not to mention she had a private lounge attached.

Chen Mengting was whisked away into the lounge by the professional stylists.

"Wife, what is all this for?"

"Didn't I just say? We're going to an auction."

Does an auction really require such a huge production?

Peng Jiaxin seemed to sense the confusion in Chen Fan's eyes and added, "A charity auction. It's going to be televised."

Chen Fan understood.

Perhaps due to her natural beauty, the stylists didn't fuss too much over Chen Mengting and soon let her out of the lounge.

Chen Mengting's makeup was light, fresh, and exquisite. She had changed into a sky-blue evening gown that revealed her fair, off-the-shoulder collarbones, with her dark, lustrous hair draped over her shoulders. She looked precisely like a princess who had stepped right out of a storybook.

"Brother, look! I'm so pretty!"

Chen Mengting lifted the hem of her dress and spun around, a genuine, heartfelt smile on her face.

What girl doesn't love looking gorgeous?

"Yeah, yeah."

Chen Fan nodded in approval.

Peng Jiaxin looked over at Chen Fan with an inquiring gaze.

"You go ahead first."

Chen Fan wasn't in any rush. He stood up and began packing away the insulated lunch containers.

The stylists had never experienced such an effortless job; the skin condition of both young women was frighteningly good.

Peng Jiaxin's skin was even more flawless than the young girl's before her, leaving the stylist wondering where to even begin applying makeup.

"Ms. Peng, your skin is simply too incredible. I'll just touch up your lipstick."

"Mm, do whatever you think is best."

Before long, Peng Jiaxin was finished as well. She had changed into a sleek black women's formal gown that perfectly accentuated her graceful figure, with her hair swept up into an elegant, bun-like updo.

Goodness, who is this aristocratic lady from society?

Oh, right, she's my wife. Never mind then.

*Click.*

Almost instinctively, Chen Fan raised his phone and snapped a photo.

Assistant Ye nearly shrieked out loud. Just as expected, shipping a real-life couple in person was the ultimate source of joy.

Who could understand this? The way President Peng's husband looked at her practically had threads of pure affection spinning out of his eyes!

"Ahem, Mr. Chen, it's time for you to get ready."

"Ah... oh... right."

Chen Fan pulled his gaze away from Peng Jiaxin and followed another waiting male stylist into the lounge.

"Darn it, my brother beat me to it. Sister-in-law, come on, let's take a selfie to make him green with envy."

"....Alright."

The stylist styled Chen Fan's hair and paired it with a sharp white suit to complement Peng Jiaxin's black gown. Considering the time spent, he, as a man, actually took the longest to get ready.

The moment Chen Fan stepped out of the lounge, the entire office fell completely silent.

"Brother, I finally understand why the ancients said clothes make the man. You look ridiculously handsome."

Chen Mengting covered her mouth in shock, staring at Chen Fan with wide eyes as if she had never imagined her older brother could look this dazzling.

"What are you talking about? Your brother was the campus heartthrob at Beijing Arts University, after all. The foundation has always been here."

"Yeah, yeah, you're right. Quick, strike a pose, I need to send this to my friends to flex."

Chen Mengting stepped forward, scoping out different angles and snapping a dozen photos in rapid succession (*click, click, click*). Chen Fan cooperative played along, striking whatever poses she wanted.

"President Peng, it's about time."

"Alright. Mengting, we should head out. You can keep taking pictures after the auction ends."

"Okay~"

"Oh right, make sure to send me a copy of those photos too."

"Hehe, no problem!"