19: Chapter 19 Liu Chang's Changes

Except for Mi Fan, the girls all responded somewhat shyly; after all, Liu Chang's introduction just now had made everyone feel a bit awkward.

"Alright, my fire support has arrived! Now that our ammo is replenished, let's continue the shopping spree! Cousin, keep up!" Liu Chang called out excitedly, waving to Cao Xiao before pulling her classmates toward a women's clothing store.

"Cousin, what do you think of this T-shirt? The price seems a bit high, over six hundred!" Liu Chang held a T-shirt against herself, pretending to be conflicted as she spoke to Cao Xiao.

"Buy it. It's not expensive, and it suits you well." Cao Xiao didn't care about the price; as long as his cousin liked it, he would pay for even a six-thousand-yuan T-shirt without hesitation.

"Cousin, does this skirt look good?" "This outfit is nice too!" "These shoes are so pretty!" ...

"Buy it." "Buy it." "Buy it." ...

"Cousin, this bag is so expensive. Let's just look; it costs tens of thousands. I really shouldn't buy this one."

"It's fine. Buy it if you like it. I'll go pay."

"Changchang, how about we come back another time? It's not that I'm stingy, but do you think I can carry anything else? You don't need to buy accessories either; I'll give you a pendant later that's guaranteed to look better than these." Outside an accessory shop, Cao Xiao's hands were full of shopping bags, with several more cradled in his arms. The items weren't heavy, but they were awkward to carry and blocked his vision. If not for the industrial mother machine's Detection Function, he would have tripped several times already, so he began pleading for mercy from Liu Chang.

"Oh, alright! You said it yourself, and as a grown man, you have to keep your word. Your poor cousin doesn't have a single piece of jewelry on her!" Liu Chang said pitifully.

"I really did prepare a beautiful pendant for you, I guarantee you'll like it. Wait for me here; I'll go put these things in the car. Once you've had your fun, I need to buy some things too. Oh right, Mi Fan, give me your things too, I'll put them in the car together."

"Wait, Cousin, give me your card and the PIN," Liu Chang called out to Cao Xiao just as he was about to turn and leave.

"What for? You still want to buy more? It's getting late. After I'm done shopping, I need to treat you all to dinner, otherwise we'll run out of time." Cao Xiao said with a long face, thinking Liu Chang hadn't bought enough.

"Why are you worrying about girls buying personal items? Just go wait at the car for a bit, I'll call you when you can come back," Liu Chang said fiercely.

"Uh, cough cough! Here, take it. The PIN is my birthday. You guys better hurry up," Cao Xiao said, feeling stifled as he handed it over dejectedly.

"Changchang, what does your cousin do? How does he have so much cash? When he was paying just now, I caught a glimpse of his account balance—it's a full eight digits, and the first number is a five! Didn't you see how enthusiastic the cashiers were? The way they looked at him, it was like they wanted to eat your cousin up. Tsk tsk tsk!" Looking at Cao Xiao's departing figure, the girl named Hu Keqin asked Liu Chang in amazement.

"Yeah, I calculated the price of the things you bought today; it adds up to no less than two hundred thousand. He didn't even blink, just paid the money happily. I don't think he's your cousin; he seems more like your 'dear brother' lover, doesn't he?" Wang Can teased Liu Chang from the side.

"What are you talking about? He's my actual cousin, from my uncle's family. He's been good to me since we were kids, always giving me the best things and never being mean to me. I didn't know he was this rich either; I only heard from my dad last time that he made some money in business, but I didn't expect it to be this much! Over fifty million... No way, next time I definitely have to make him give me a huge gift and a lot of pocket money. I can't let my stomach suffer. Let's go, sisters! The wealthy man's savings are in my hands; I'll pay for the shopping later." Liu Chang hadn't noticed how much she had bought earlier while she was in the excitement of shopping, nor had she noticed how much money was in Cao Xiao's card. Hearing her classmates say this, she was also a bit surprised. However, Cao Xiao had always doted on her; him having money meant she had money to spend. Thus, she generously invited her good friends to go spend 'her' money.

By the time Cao Xiao received Liu Chang's call, half an hour had passed. When he met up with them and saw the girls carrying several more shopping bags, he was momentarily speechless.

"You beautiful ladies have to help me as consultants later. My taste is really poor; otherwise, walking with you all might ruin your beautiful image." Cao Xiao joked with the girls. However, his taste really was quite bad, and he didn't know much about fashion. Every time he bought clothes for himself, it was a headache. He truly hoped Liu Chang and the others could give him some advice.

"No problem! Our great talent Mi Fan is a proper fashion designer. Don't look at the fact that she hasn't graduated yet; she's a genius in this field. Her designs have even won professional national design awards. Leave it to her later; she'll guarantee you look presentable in no time," Liu Chang said to Cao Xiao, pointing at Mi Fan with some pride.

"To have such achievements while still a student, you're truly impressive. But Changchang, are you itching for a beating? Is that how you describe your own cousin?" Cao Xiao praised Mi Fan in surprise, then lightly pinched Liu Chang's ear in a threatening manner.

"Brother, let go, it hurts! I was wrong. I should have said you'll look dashing and elegant!" Liu Chang quickly changed her tune as her ear stung.

"That's more like it! Let's go. I don't have many requirements, as long as it's decent. We don't have much time left." Satisfied, Cao Xiao let go of Liu Chang and spoke.

An hour later, Cao Xiao walked out of a brand-name men's clothing store feeling like a changed man. While he might not be 'dashing and elegant,' he certainly looked much more sophisticated than before. His temperament had shifted, giving off a fashionable and sunny vibe. Mi Fan's eye was truly sharp; what seemed like a casual pairing looked very distinctive when worn. Taking advantage of the professional guidance, Cao Xiao bought five sets of outfits at once, including shoes, belts, and ties. He wouldn't have to worry about buying clothes for the rest of the summer.

Leading the girls out of the pedestrian street, Cao Xiao's car couldn't fit seven people, so he had Liu Chang and Dai Hanqiu follow behind in a taxi. The group arrived at a large restaurant near Huanghe University. Cao Xiao requested a quiet private room. As soon as they sat down, Liu Chang couldn't wait to start ordering. Seeing her rattle off dish names without even looking at the menu, Cao Xiao knew this girl must have done her culinary research long ago. He suspected there wasn't a delicacy in all of Huanghe City or its surroundings that she didn't know about. Even if there were places she couldn't afford, it didn't stop her from doing 'pre-battle reconnaissance.' A foodie's pursuit of fine food is never-ending.

Liu Chang ordered over thirty dishes by herself, along with various fresh-squeezed fruit and vegetable juices. The others didn't order anything else because the dishes Liu Chang chose already covered nearly half the menu, and everything they wanted to eat could be found in Liu Chang's selection.

Cao Xiao thought to himself that an average family really couldn't afford to raise this girl. Luckily she was sensible; otherwise, Second Aunt's family would have been eaten into poverty long ago. After ordering, Liu Chang urged the waiter to serve the food as quickly as possible. The girls began chatting away, leaving Cao Xiao sidelined. He had to find something to do, so remembering the pendant he promised Liu Chang, he began searching his personal space for a suitable blue amber raw stone. Since Liu Chang was still a student, he couldn't give her something too extravagant; otherwise, its high value might invite unwanted attention. But he couldn't give his beloved little cousin something poor either. So, he selected a relatively large piece of sky-blue amber and fashioned it into a pure, teardrop-shaped pendant. It had no carvings, but it was crystal clear and beautiful. He used the remaining material to make six small beads to thread onto the cord on either side of the pendant. This way, the pendant could be tucked inside her clothes, leaving only the ordinary red string visible on the outside.

"Changchang, look at this pendant. Do you like it? This is blue amber, which is very popular right now," Cao Xiao said, taking the pendant out of his pocket and handing it to Liu Chang.

"What is blue amber? It's quite pretty, though. How much is this worth? You didn't buy it from a roadside stall, did you?" Liu Chang said suspiciously as she took the pendant.

"Have some worldly knowledge, will you? This is top-grade blue amber. Nowadays it's sold by the gram and is dozens of times more expensive than gold. I can't believe you said it's from a roadside stall. I give up; all you know is eating!" Cao Xiao said, exasperated.

"Changchang, let me see." Mi Fan took the pendant from Liu Chang and held it up to her eyes to observe closely. "This really is top-tier sky-blue amber. There are no impurities inside, the color is pure and transparent, and the shape and polish are flawless. The surface is incredibly smooth. It weighs about ten grams. The raw material alone is worth over two hundred thousand, plus those six beads of the same quality... I'd say this pendant is worth at least three hundred thousand at minimum. It's hard to find this on the market; you've hit the jackpot!"

"Really? But Cousin, isn't just one pendant a bit plain? I don't have any earrings or bracelets or anything. Why don't you help me complete the set!" After learning the value of the pendant, Liu Chang turned pitiful again as she spoke to Cao Xiao.

"Do you think these are cabbages? Why does a student need so much jewelry? Absolutely not. Don't even think about the rest. Even if I had them, I wouldn't give them to you. I'll buy you better ones when you graduate. Now that I've given you the pendant, don't go showing it off. Something this valuable is unsafe to carry around," Cao Xiao said with a stern, serious face.

"Hmph! I don't even want them. If I lost this pendant one day, I'd be heartbroken. I just wanted to see if you had more in stock. My mom doesn't even have a single piece of valuable jewelry. Careful, or I'll go back and tell on you—I'll say you robbed a jewelry store!" Liu Chang threatened huffily.

"Me, rob a jewelry store? I might as well rob the Global Village. You dare threaten me? You don't want your pocket money anymore, do you? If you really dare to tell on me, I'll let you go hungry," Cao Xiao said, unfazed. As long as he cut off this foodie cousin's food supply, she would have to behave.

"Tell me first, how much pocket money will you give me every month? If it's too little, it won't be enough for my food. Otherwise, I'll still tell Uncle that you're mistreating me and not feeding me," Liu Chang said, still defiant.

"Only ten thousand a month. You won't need to eat out in the future anyway. In a few days, I'll buy a house nearby, and you can move in then. I'll hire a specialized chef to cook for you every day. You can ask him to make whatever you want to eat. Home-cooked food is safer than eating out. I'll buy you a car in a few days, so you can bring your classmates home for dinner," Cao Xiao said crossly. He knew in his heart that Liu Chang wasn't usually like this. Second Aunt's family hadn't been well-off before; although her living allowance wasn't small, it was completely insufficient for her appetite. Liu Chang's digestion was too good, and she needed to eat a lot in one sitting. He figured her classmates must have looked after her often. Her desire for more money was likely so she could treat them in return.

"Fine, I'll forgive you this time. But my room has to be decorated beautifully, and the chef you hire has to pass my test!" Liu Chang bargained.

"You can decorate it yourself when the time comes. The food is here; hurry up and eat," Cao Xiao said, rubbing his head with a slight headache.

"Remember to call me when you're buying the house, or I'll go report you! Sisters, let's start! Let's eliminate them all together!" Liu Chang shouted.

With Cao Xiao, an outsider, present, the girls were a bit reserved at first. But under Liu Chang's lead, they stopped caring about their image and started competing for the food. It seemed they had all been corrupted by Liu Chang—or perhaps they were forced into it; if you didn't eat fast when dining with Liu Chang, you might not get any food at all.

Cao Xiao had only eaten lunch after two o'clock, so he wasn't hungry. Plus, he had another dinner coming up later, so he just ate a little before putting down his chopsticks. After all, he didn't have a stomach as powerful as Liu Chang's.

After the meal, the girls all clutched their bulging stomachs, disregarding their image. The scene when they left was truly awkward. Facing the strange looks from passersby, Cao Xiao's face turned bright red. He quickly ushered the girls into the car, stuffed the five of them into the back seat, and fled back to their school dormitory. As the only male present, and with the girls unwilling to move, he could only silently help carry their things up to the dorm.

It was already seven in the evening. Cao Xiao took Liu Chang and hurried toward the place he had agreed upon with Mother He.

Over half an hour later, Cao Xiao's car stopped in a small alley on Daxia Road. He and Liu Chang got out. Before them stood a somewhat old courtyard with blue bricks and red tiles, looking quite out of place in this expensive metropolis. Above the courtyard gate were three gilded characters: 'Xiangya Ju'. Upon entering, they found the interior wasn't large. Aside from a two-story building in an ancient style, the courtyard was only about two hundred square meters. Within it was a small lotus pond and a pavilion. With green trees and red flowers, it was a rare sight in the noisy city. This place didn't look like a private restaurant at all, but rather the home of an elegant person.

He Yueyou and her mother hadn't arrived yet. Cao Xiao led Liu Chang into the main hall of the building. Once inside, he almost thought he had entered the wrong place. The furnishings in the hall were entirely in the style of an ancient family's main room. There was no cashier desk and no commercial signs; it felt like entering someone's home. On a rosewood sofa, a middle-aged man was playing with a two- or three-year-old boy.