Chapter 34: Giving a Tie to Shen Linyan

Seeing Zhou Wen here, An Ling quickly recalled the plot.

She didn't say anything, just lazily glanced at Zhou Wen, her mind flashing with scenes of what might happen next.

Could it be that Lu Jingshen is also nearby? Waiting for her to humiliate Zhou Wen so he can jump out and play the hero saving the beauty.

After all, this kind of scene had happened before.

During the ambiguous phase between the male and female leads, when Zhou Wen was buying a birthday gift for Lu Jingshen, she, as the vicious supporting female character, happened to see it and ruthlessly humiliated her.

She even publicly stomped on the gift, sneering, "How dare you give such a shabby thing to Brother Jingshen."

The next second, Lu Jingshen appeared, and what followed was the two of them jointly putting the vicious supporting character in her place.

The resurrected memory surfaced in An Ling's mind, giving her a chill.

She lazily shoved her hands into her pockets, looking completely detached.

Forget it, she wouldn't do that again now.

As long as she stays silent, how can the plot advance? How can the hero save the beauty?

Don't even think about using her as a plot device.

Seeing An Ling not responding, Zhou Wen felt somewhat awkward.

Fortunately, Shen Fuyuan scoffed coldly at that moment: "Who would go shopping with her?"

As she spoke, she casually glanced at the shop behind Zhou Wen.

It was a custom menswear shop for tailored suits, handmade and expensive.

She asked offhandedly, "Are you here to buy clothes for Second Brother?"

Hearing this, Zhou Wen turned to look, instinctively shaking her head, "No, I'm here to buy..."

But as if remembering something, her voice abruptly stopped.

She looked at An Ling beside her with a hint of panic in her eyes, nodded slightly, her voice tinged with guilt.

"Yes... I'm here to buy something for Jingshen..."

Shen Fuyuan's expression became subtle.

Oho, something's going on! And it involves An Ling!

Only a fool would pass up watching some drama.

Shen Fuyuan glanced at An Ling, who looked completely unbothered, walked over to Zhou Wen, and smilingly slung an arm over her shoulder.

"Since you're also here shopping, let's go together. Why be so hesitant? Just say what you want to buy. I can even help you brainstorm."

Zhou Wen's expression was somewhat troubled.

After a moment's thought, she still whispered softly, "Actually... I'm here to buy a gift for Eldest Brother."

Her voice was neither loud nor soft, but it just happened to reach An Ling's ears.

"......"

An Ling's expression paused slightly. Her originally casual gaze gradually focused as she turned to look over, her face expressionless.

For whom?

Did she just hallucinate?

As if sensing the shift in atmosphere, Zhou Wen quickly waved her hands to smooth things over: "Sister-in-law, I don't mean anything else! It's just that I've troubled Eldest Brother so much lately; I just wanted to give him a gift to thank him!"

Shen Fuyuan's eyes lit up beside her.

Ha! That woman's expression changed!

Watching the drama unfold with relish, she said with a grin, "For Eldest Brother? What are you getting him? A suit?"

An Ling's gaze remained calm, and she didn't speak.

Zhou Wen cautiously looked up at her, shook her head, and pursed her lips, saying, "I... plan to give a tie..."

An Ling: "........."

Remembering the tie at home that she hadn't yet given, she fell silent for a moment, ultimately unable to suppress a short, soft laugh, lowering her eyes to hide the coldness within.

Damn plot, it really knows how to push people's buttons.

It knows exactly what development is the most melodramatic.

She had underestimated it.

An Ling pulled her hands out of her pockets and said leisurely, "Giving a tie to Shen Linyan?"

Zhou Wen forced a smile to explain: "Sister-in-law, please don't misunderstand, I really don't mean anything, I just want to express my gratitude..."

Before she could finish, the woman interrupted her.

"What kind are you planning to give?"

An Ling slowly walked into the shop, her tone casual, "Let me have a look too."

Let her see if it could get even more melodramatic.

As soon as she said this, both Zhou Wen and Shen Fuyuan turned their heads in unison.

They stared blankly as An Ling entered the shop, unable to tell what the woman was thinking at that moment.

When the tie Zhou Wen had picked out was placed in front of her, An Ling glanced at it.

Seems it hasn't reached that level of melodrama yet.

She had thought it might be the same one.

The tie Zhou Wen had chosen was silver with a subtle pattern, elegant and sophisticated.

Shen Fuyuan, standing to the side, saw the tie and gave a slight curl of his lip, but didn't say anything.

Zhou Wen spoke up with a smile: "I think this tie suits Eldest Brother very well..."

"I don't think it looks good."

The woman's sudden interjection cut her off.

Zhou Wen's smile stiffened. "Sister-in-law, you think... it doesn't look good?"

She quickly lowered her head again. "Then, Sister-in-law, what do you think looks good?"

"None of them look good."

An Ling dropped this sentence and turned to leave, casually waving a hand, "Of course, this is just my opinion. You don't have to listen to me. You can still give it to Shen Linyan. He'll probably accept it."

What 'probably'—he definitely would accept it.

Just as she was about to step out the door, Zhou Wen's voice sounded from behind again.

"Then... I also prepared another gift. Sister-in-law, what do you think about men's cologne?"

An Ling's footsteps halted.

She turned her head, thought for a moment, then slowly tilted her head with a smile.

"Whatever."

Anyway, whatever you give, Shen Linyan will take it.

-

After leaving the shop, An Ling took out her phone to check messages.

Colleagues in the group chat were discussing where to eat dinner and had tagged her, asking when she'd be back.

She replied: 【Already finished. Heading back now.】

Just after replying and planning to go get her car, she heard Shen Fuyuan's panting voice from behind.

"Damn, woman, your legs are so long, you walk way too fast!"

An Ling paused, turning around in surprise to look at Shen Fuyuan behind her.

"Do you still need something?"

Shen Fuyuan: "..."

She laughed in exasperation. "What do you mean by that? Shouldn't it be you who needs something from me?"

Had this person forgotten why they came here?

But An Ling just tapped her phone screen.

"Miss Shen, I'm off work now, and you're off work too. Let's each go our separate ways."

"..."

Shen Fuyuan snorted, not pursuing that topic further. She straightened up and looked at An Ling sideways: "Hey, just now when Zhou Wen was buying a gift for Eldest Brother, I got the feeling you were in a pretty bad mood? Don't you like Second Brother? You should take this chance to buy a gift for him too."

An Ling slowly walked towards her car. "I wasn't in a bad mood. I just think life can be so dramatic sometimes."

Apart from that tiny bit of discomfort in her heart, she really didn't feel much. At most, she felt a little regretful.

That tie of hers probably wouldn't be given now.

But she also felt a bit relieved, relieved that she hadn't fallen for Shen Linyan after all.

Otherwise, encountering a situation like this, if Shen Linyan chose Zhou Wen's tie, wouldn't she be utterly miserable?

Shen Fuyuan followed behind, her gaze scrutinizing the woman's back, her thoughts unclear.

After a while, she suddenly let out a slow sigh, her tone relaxing.

"Ah, but you weren't wrong either. That tie really wasn't nice. Tacky and cheap-looking, very tasteless."

An Ling: "..."

That line sounded familiar. How did the vicious supporting character's lines end up here?

She stopped walking and turned around with a strange look. "You're telling me this?"

Shen Fuyuan shrugged under her gaze. "What? It's not like I'm wrong. I gave one before too. Later I found out Eldest Brother never wears that kind. He only wears custom-made ones. Anything Zhou Wen gives will just end up buried at the bottom of a drawer."

An Ling thought of her own tie, lowered her eyelids, turned around, and continued walking towards the car.

"That's not necessarily true. Perhaps it's just that the person giving it wasn't the right one."

They simply couldn't compare to the female lead.