Chapter Eleven: Playing the Part of Lovers

Because of the earlier awkwardness, the bond between them, once as close as siblings, now felt somewhat unfamiliar, and neither knew how to break the silence.

After a long pause, Long Fei finally spoke. “So, where should we go to buy clothes?”

In truth, Long Fei knew exactly where Hang Lung Plaza was. He was also well aware that it was the most expensive shopping center for fashion in all of Shanghai. Still, looking down at his own attire, he decided to play ignorant.

Following Qi Yufei’s guidance, Long Fei parked the car in front of Hang Lung Plaza on West Nanjing Road.

Had Long Fei been dressed a bit more stylishly, any passerby seeing the two of them together would likely have mistaken them for a young couple.

The mall had four floors, each hosting more than twenty top international brands. On the first floor, Qi Yufei helped Long Fei pick out a set of clothes. Fearing that the price tags might startle him, she quickly paid with her own credit card and insisted he throw out his old clothes.

There’s truth in the saying, “Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse.” Standing before the mirror, Long Fei found himself transformed—instantly more handsome and refined. Especially when he furrowed his brows, a touch of melancholy lent his features an alluring aura. Even Qi Yufei, standing beside him, was momentarily captivated. She hadn’t expected that a change of clothes would render Long Fei so strikingly similar to that person—enough, perhaps, to melt the heart of any woman. Had she been twenty years younger, she wondered if she might have been moved herself.

The sales assistants in the boutique, while showering Long Fei with compliments, also exchanged curious glances between him and Qi Yufei. From the moment they entered, their demeanor and the fact that Qi Yufei was paying had led the staff to assume Long Fei was Qi Yufei’s handsome young companion—kept by her, perhaps. Not that the idea repelled them; on the contrary, Long Fei was now quite dashing, and Qi Yufei was a woman of rare beauty. To be kept by such a woman hardly seemed shameful.

Long Fei and Qi Yufei remained oblivious to these assumptions. Still, under the weight of those curious stares, they felt uneasy and abandoned their plans to shop further on the first floor, heading directly to the second.

They stopped at the Anne Klein boutique, where Qi Yufei selected several more outfits for Long Fei. Each time, he tried them on, and she had them wrapped up. Long Fei had the perfect build for clothes; whether it was a T-shirt or a dress shirt, everything looked as if it had been tailored for him, and he brought out the best in every piece.

“Don’t you think we’ve bought a bit too much?” Long Fei hadn’t seen the price tags, but he could easily guess the general range. Seeing Qi Yufei’s arms laden with bags, he felt genuinely embarrassed. No matter how wealthy she was, it simply wasn’t right to spend a woman’s money so freely. Otherwise, he really would feel like he was being kept.

“It’s fine. What can I say—these clothes just suit you perfectly!” Qi Yufei was in high spirits, clearly enjoying the process of shopping, almost as if buying clothes for Long Fei was a delight in itself.

They had just finished paying and were about to leave when a foreign gentleman stopped them.

The man was in his fifties, his hair snow white, and a sapphire ring gleamed on his finger—clearly, he was no ordinary person.

“Dear miss, sir, good afternoon. I am Becker, the Asia Marketing Director for Anne Klein. It’s truly delightful to meet you both today,” the foreigner said, his excitement apparent.

Long Fei had little patience for such pleasantries. If the man had something to say, he wished he’d say it plainly. Even if his Chinese was fluent, there was no need to show off before the locals—Long Fei had been speaking Mandarin since birth, and no foreigner could outdo him there.

“Hey, if you have something to say, just get to the point,” Long Fei said, frowning.

Qi Yufei, who had been maintaining her elegant smile, noticed his impatience and gently interjected, “Mr. Becker, please speak directly. We’re quite busy. If you’d like to chat, perhaps we could arrange another time?”

“Oh, dear lady, meeting with someone as young and beautiful as you would be a true pleasure, but I’m afraid, like you, I am very busy. I fly to Japan tomorrow—there are matters that require my attention there—” the foreigner rambled on, seemingly unable to stop.

“Thank you for your kind words, but we really must be going. Okay?” Qi Yufei cut in, pleased despite herself by the compliments, but seeing Long Fei’s growing irritation, she hurried him along.

“Oh, I’m sorry! Please, listen to me—sir, miss, don’t be in such a hurry. Here’s the thing: miss, I believe your boyfriend would make an excellent print model for our brand. I’d like to discuss the possibility with you. Don’t worry, we always offer generous compensation to our partners. Trust me, won’t you?” Becker finally got to the point.

A smile flickered across Long Fei’s face, while Qi Yufei blushed deeply. Being mistaken for Long Fei’s girlfriend surprised and embarrassed her greatly.

“No need to ask me. Why don’t you ask him directly?” Qi Yufei, almost without thinking, did not correct the foreigner’s assumption about their relationship and, picking up her bags, stepped aside.

Becker had assumed, seeing Qi Yufei pay for everything, that she must be the one in charge in the relationship. But now, with the matter handed over to Long Fei, he found himself somewhat at a loss.

“My apologies, sir, I see I may have misunderstood. Well, let’s return to the main point. What do you think of my proposal? If you’re interested, would you mind sharing your contact information? I could call you after work to discuss the details.”

Long Fei replied with a grin, “No need. My girlfriend has already left, and I’m leaving too. I’m not interested in your proposal. Bye!”

Long Fei had never passed up the chance to benefit from a little mischief behind someone’s back. Since Qi Yufei was out of earshot, he saw no harm in playing along with the misunderstanding for his own amusement.

“Please, sir, do reconsider. Here’s my card. If you change your mind, contact me anytime—I’ll be here. Sir, please don’t go—goodness, this young man is so rude! I’m over fifty, doesn’t he know to respect his elders?” Becker called after him, disappointed and muttering to himself.

Though he’d missed out on becoming a print model, Long Fei was in high spirits. Not only had Becker essentially complimented him, but he and Qi Yufei had played the roles of lovers for all to see. Even if, in her heart, Qi Yufei did not share the sentiment, Long Fei was more than happy to indulge in the fantasy.

All the way back, he couldn’t stop grinning, his eyes nearly closed in delight, while Qi Yufei walked ahead, face flushed, not daring to look back.

In the parking lot, Long Fei joked, “Yufei, since we’re here, how about buying yourself a few outfits? I could help you choose.”

Though he said it in all seriousness, his mind was running wild with daydreams. He had no innocent intentions. If Qi Yufei agreed to let him help, he could seize the chance to get closer to her, making her try on different styles for his own enjoyment. It was summertime, after all—imagine if she decided to buy some lingerie, what a sight that would be!

Unfortunately, his suggestion had no effect. Qi Yufei refused outright. On the drive home, she insisted on taking the wheel herself, leaving Long Fei to sit beside her, tempted to speak but holding back.

The atmosphere on the way back was no longer as easy or ambiguous as before. Long Fei knew what was on Qi Yufei’s mind, but he hadn’t expected that, even at nearly forty, she could still be as shy as a young girl.

He thought back to Ye Qian’s flying kick at him earlier that day and couldn’t help but marvel at the contrast between mother and daughter. Could their personalities really be that different?

Long Fei was in a fine mood and had completely forgotten his role as a bodyguard. He closed his eyes, enjoying the faint scent wafting from Qi Yufei, humming a tune only he could understand—tuneless and irreverent, as if nothing respectable could come from his mouth. Qi Yufei, curious as she was, couldn’t make out what he was humming, try as she might.

When they were about five hundred meters from their destination, Dream Garden, Qi Yufei suddenly pulled the car over. Long Fei, surprised, asked, “Yufei, why did you stop? Are we here?”

When he opened his eyes, he saw that Dream Garden was still ahead, just around the bend. He was puzzled as to why she had stopped.

“Long Fei, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you, if that’s alright.” It was clear Qi Yufei had gathered her courage to speak, glancing at him nervously before turning away.

“What is it?” Long Fei had no intention of trying to guess at a woman’s heart. It was a mystery he’d long since given up on solving.