Chapter 24: The Price of a Proposal

Upon witnessing Auntie Xia’s fragile demeanor, Bai Hao was instantly struck by how much more alluring she became.

He unlatched his door and stepped out of the vehicle, then rounded the car to Xia Zhiquiu’s side, opening her door and offering a hand.

“Auntie Xia, please step out.”

Xia Zhiquiu, however, did not accept the young man’s gesture, merely lifting her gaze, displeasure clouding her features as she spoke.

“What are you doing bringing me here?”

Undeterred, Bai Hao insisted, firmly clasping her delicate, soft jade-like hand.

Xia Zhiquiu struggled for a few moments, yet upon realizing she was utterly unable to break free, she had no choice but to abandon the idea of escaping his grasp.

At this, a satisfied smile bloomed on Bai Hao’s face as he declared with an air of mystery.

“Auntie Xia, just follow me, and you’ll see.”

Xia Zhiquiu rolled her eyes, resigned to her fate as she allowed the young man to pull her into the sprawling mall.

Before long, they arrived at an opulent, high-end jewelry boutique, a sight that left Xia Zhiquiu momentarily stunned.

Bai Hao, however, appeared remarkably eager; when greeted by a sales associate’s inquiry, he promptly stated.

“I’m looking to buy a proposal ring for my wife-to-be. Do you have any good recommendations?”

The sales associate, hearing his words, couldn’t help but register a flicker of surprise; after all, given their apparent ages, they hardly seemed a couple.

Yet, she quickly regained her composure, eagerly launching into her sales pitch, for a sale was a sale, regardless of the circumstances, and every purchase boosted her commission.

Xia Zhiquiu, on the other hand, remained frozen for a long moment after hearing the young man’s declaration before finally snapping back to reality, her voice laden with outright rejection.

“What are you playing at? I absolutely don’t want any ring!”

Upon hearing her, Bai Hao feigned a look of deep emotion, declaring.

“I know Auntie Xia dislikes wasting money, but don’t worry, I can certainly afford a ring.”

Xia Zhiquiu, upon hearing the young man’s words, was overcome with a potent mix of shame and vexation. ‘Was she truly talking about money?’ she fumed inwardly.

Yet, Xia Zhiquiu’s perspective swiftly shifted.

For as her gaze fell upon the myriad dazzling diamond rings gleaming within the display case, and the astronomical prices meticulously listed beneath each, she concluded that this establishment was nothing short of a legalized robbery!

They might as well just snatch your money outright, yet they insist on gifting you a worthless pebble in return.

“Sir, this diamond ring is named ‘Thorn of Eternity.’ Its setting, unlike the smooth bands of other diamond rings, is intricately designed with interwoven thorny vines.

These vines gracefully ascend from the band, converging at the apex to firmly ‘clutch’ the central diamond.”

“Crafted through intricate openwork or wax carving techniques, the thorns boast a lifelike form and remarkable three-dimensionality.

The delicate vines can be adorned with tiny pavé diamonds, symbolizing droplets of dew or glistening starlight upon the thorns, while the magnificent central stone is a rare rose-hued red diamond…”

“The profound symbolism of this ring is: ‘Our love transcends all thorns; you alone are the ultimate romance for which I am willing to endure anything.'”

As the sales associate spoke, she carefully presented the diamond ring.

Even though Xia Zhiquiu was keenly aware that diamond rings were essentially an ‘IQ tax’ (TL Note: A Chinese slang term referring to a product or service that is overpriced and bought by people who are considered foolish or unintelligent, implying it preys on ignorance or vanity),

Her gaze lingered on the breathtakingly beautiful ring before her, and she couldn’t suppress a flicker of genuine astonishment.

Bai Hao, observing the diamond ring, didn’t even glance at its price tag. Instead, he turned his head to Xia Zhiquiu and inquired.

“Auntie Xia, do you like it?”

Upon hearing him, Xia Zhiquiu instinctively began to speak.

“Li—no, I don’t like it! I absolutely don’t like these sorts of things!”

Bai Hao watched Auntie Xia, who, despite pointedly turning her head away, couldn’t help but steal surreptitious glances at the diamond ring.

He found her contradictory, ‘saying one thing, meaning another’ demeanor utterly captivating.

With that thought, Bai Hao ceased his perusal. He turned directly to the sales associate and declared.

“Alright, we’ll take this one. Oh, and while you’re at it, please help us select a pair of wedding bands.”

The sales associate, hearing Bai Hao’s words, paused in stunned silence for a moment before a realization dawned, and her enthusiasm visibly surged.

‘I thought this young man was merely a kept man,’ she mused, ‘but he’s a true high-roller!’

“Wonderful, wonderful, sir! Do you have any specific requirements for the wedding bands…”

Subsequently, the young man selected another pair of wedding bands. Though not as opulent as the diamond ring, they nonetheless possessed an exceptional elegance.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Xia Zhiquiu remained firmly held by the young man. Her protests and rejections were met with utter disregard, leaving her to watch helplessly as he swiped his card and settled the exorbitant bill.

‘Over 400,000 yuan!’ she thought, aghast.

While Xia Zhiquiu, now an awakened ability user, found earning money no longer a monumental task, it hardly warranted spending four hundred thousand on something so utterly inconsequential, did it?

Gazing at the dazzling diamond ring now adorning her ring finger, Xia Zhiquiu made to remove it. The next instant, the young man’s fingers pinched the soft flesh at her waist, and he spoke.

“Auntie Xia, if you dare to take that off, I can’t guarantee what I might do, you know.”

Xia Zhiquiu’s delicate frame trembled at his words. Her hand, poised to remove the ring, instantly froze, and after a prolonged internal struggle, she ultimately abandoned the notion.

Seeing her reaction, Bai Hao chuckled softly, then reached out to playfully pat the mature Auntie’s head, teasing.

“Such a good auntie.”

Xia Zhiquiu, hearing the young man’s words, felt an immediate surge of overwhelming shame. She slapped his hand away with a sharp motion, declaring.

“Don’t you dare touch my head!”

Bai Hao, long accustomed to the beautiful Auntie’s indignation, simply chose to ignore it. He chuckled soothingly, reassuring her.

“Alright, alright, Auntie Xia, what else might you fancy buying? You’re far too plainly dressed; it hardly makes you look like a woman, you know.”

She possessed no earrings, no necklaces, and even her solitary bracelet was merely a prop for her male disguise…

Xia Zhiquiu pursed her lips at his words. ‘I wasn’t a woman to begin with, was I? At least, not psychologically!’ she thought indignantly.

“I don’t need any of these things.”

Seeing her genuine reluctance to purchase anything, Bai Hao didn’t press the matter. After all, their primary objective for this outing had been to acquire rings, a mission now accomplished.

“Oh, Auntie Xia, by all rights, since we’re married, you should be wearing this wedding band.”

As he spoke, the young man produced the relatively unadorned wedding band. A matching ring was already on his own hand.

“However, since we bypassed the proposal and went straight to marriage, you should wear the engagement ring first, and then switch to this one after some time.”

With that, Bai Hao tucked the wedding band into her hand as well.

Knowing she couldn’t refuse, Xia Zhiquiu couldn’t help but mutter.

“We might as well just skip straight to the divorce, then.”

No sooner had the words left her lips than she felt the young man’s ‘demonic’ hand creep onto the soft flesh of her waist.

“Auntie Xia, what did you say?”

Xia Zhiquiu met the young man’s half-smiling gaze. Despite being older than him, she couldn’t help but feel her heart flutter with trepidation, and she mumbled meekly.

“I didn’t say anything…”

Seeing her reaction, Bai Hao’s lips curved into a slight smile. He firmly intertwined his fingers with Auntie Xia’s, pulling her along to continue browsing the mall.

Along the way, Xia Zhiquiu glanced at their clasped hands, where the wedding bands, symbols of love, now rested. A strange sensation stirred within her.

She knew perfectly well that the young man’s feelings for her were purely driven by desire between a man and a woman, yet in that moment, a thought sparked: ‘Could the young man truly be falling in love with her?’

Xia Zhiquiu immediately dismissed the idea, or rather, the thought itself filled her with a deeper fear.

As for the truth, only the young man himself could know.

The two continued to wander through the mall for a long time. Xia Zhiquiu remained visibly reluctant throughout, especially when Bai Hao insisted on buying her numerous women’s clothes, such as dresses…

It was worth noting that since transforming into a woman, Xia Zhiquiu had consistently worn gender-neutral clothing and never a dress.

Bai Hao, having noticed this, had simply paid for a shopping spree without any further discussion!