Meanwhile, Ye Ling got up and walked into the bedroom.

Ning Ruoxi was on the bed, engrossed in a video. Sensing Ye Ling’s arrival, she looked up. "All done?"

With that, the young woman put down her tablet and bounced over to Ye Ling’s side, looking overjoyed.

"Mhm, all done."

Ye Ling chuckled, reaching out to gently rub her head. A flicker of emotion crossed his eyes before he said,

"You must have been bored out of your mind today, right? Come on, I’ll take you out to have some fun and treat you to a nice meal."

Ning Ruoxi had stayed in the room all day without coming out. Even at lunch, she went straight back to the room right after eating.

Obviously, she was trying not to disturb Ye Ling.

Even though Ning Ruoxi really wanted Ye Ling to spend time with her, she knew he had important things to do!

So, she chose to be bored, doing her best to let Ye Ling focus completely on his work.

To be honest, Ye Ling was incredibly pleased by this, because the young woman was so considerate!

The internet had developed so rapidly, and an unhealthy trend had emerged online: anyone and everyone could spout their opinions on love.

This was what was commonly known as toxic online relationship advice.

’Is it wrong for a boyfriend not to call back within ten minutes?’

’Does a boyfriend have to spend money on his girlfriend, or else it’s not real love?’

...

In Ye Ling’s opinion, all of this was utter nonsense. ’Isn’t a relationship something two people have to slowly work on together?’

This so-called "working on it" definitely wasn’t about one person giving everything; it was about mutual effort.

Take today, for example. Ning Ruoxi knew Ye Ling had something to do—something important—so she chose to be bored alone in her room instead of disturbing him.

Of course, Ye Ling wouldn’t have found her annoying, but he would have definitely been distracted, wouldn’t he?

And now that Ye Ling was free, he naturally felt he should make it up to her for being bored all day.

’Isn’t this a much better way?’

Both of them were happy, and the work was done.

’Why start a fight? When someone has serious work to do, do you really have to force them to entertain you?’

’Would you even be happy if they did?’

’Obviously not!’

"Okay!"

Hearing this, Ning Ruoxi happily jumped into Ye Ling’s arms.

"Huh? Have you gotten a little heavier recently?"

Ye Ling asked with a chuckle, playfully hefting the young woman in his arms.

"Of course not!"

Ning Ruoxi shot Ye Ling a playful glare.

’This guy. Can’t he just let me be happy for a little longer?’

’He just said he’s taking me out for a nice meal, and now he’s saying I’ve gotten fat?’

’How am I supposed to enjoy dinner now?!’

"Hmm, but your figure seems to be getting better and better."

Ye Ling, however, suddenly let his gaze drift to her chest, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

Ning Ruoxi naturally noticed his slightly aggressive gaze. Her pretty face instantly flushed crimson, and she quickly scrambled out of his arms.

"Get out, get out! I need to change!"

Ning Ruoxi pushed Ye Ling right out and shut the door.

Ye Ling stood outside the door in a good mood. A smile curved his lips as he started humming a little tune, sitting down on the sofa to wait for Ning Ruoxi.

Inside the room, Ning Ruoxi’s face was still burning.

"That jerk..."

Ning Ruoxi pouted, then suddenly walked over to the mirror and looked at her reflection.

’It seems like...’

’Have they really gotten a lot bigger?’

About half an hour later, Ning Ruoxi pushed open the door and came out.

"That was fast."

Ye Ling, who had been watching *Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf*, heard the sound and turned his head. He froze for a moment, a look of stunned admiration appearing in his eyes.

The young woman’s outfit today was quite lovely. She wore a tight, high-collared sweater under a khaki trench coat, with a simple pair of jeans and white Doc Martens.

It was a complete departure from her usual cute, pastel style, giving her more of a chic, urban vibe.

"So? Do I look good?"

Ning Ruoxi came up to Ye Ling, did a little spin, and then looked at him with an expectant expression.

Seeing the ’you’d better compliment me now’ look on her face, Ye Ling couldn’t help but smile.

"Mhm, you’re beautiful. Especially so."

Ye Ling took a step back to look her over and spoke from the heart.

"Hmph, how perfunctory."

Ning Ruoxi pouted, but then she linked her arm through Ye Ling’s. "Shall we go?"

"Alright."

Ye Ling nodded, and they headed into the elevator.

Since Ning Ruoxi had taken half an hour to get ready, it was now around two-thirty.

Honestly, her speed wasn’t slow at all. You have to understand, some women prepare to go out like they’re attending an ancient imperial court session—it can take one or two hours at a moment’s notice!

Today, Ning Ruoxi had only put on some light makeup, nothing too complicated. It looked like she’d just put on some powder and lipstick...

Er, there were probably other steps, but in the eyes of our Brother Ling, he could probably only identify those two.

Could this be the legendary "straight-man" cluelessness?

Today, Ye Ling was driving the Pagani Zonda R. The supercar had been sitting in his garage for a while; you could say it had fallen out of favor for quite some time.

It was mainly because the steady, stable feel of the Maybach suited his tastes better. It was just more comfortable to drive.

As for supercars...

They’re great for showing off, but drive one for too long and your back really starts to ache!

’That said, I should get another car to play around with when I have time,’ Ye Ling muttered to himself as he drove.

’It seems like the protagonists in those online "shenhao" novels are always getting all sorts of luxury cars, aren’t they?’

’And so many different kinds!’

’Compared to them, my own collection seems pretty lacking. After all this time since I started checking in, I’ve only gotten one Pagani. I had to buy the Maybach myself at an auction.’

VROOOM...

The roar of the Pagani’s engine echoed through the streets of Modu. The blood-pumping sound made countless people turn their heads, their eyes filled with envy.

"What do you want to eat today?" Ye Ling asked Ning Ruoxi, who was beside him.

"Umm... I’m good with anything, really. How about... we try some Japanese food?" Ning Ruoxi replied after a moment of thought.

"Japanese food, huh? You know I was just kidding when I said you’d gotten fat," Ye Ling said, a smirk forming on his lips.

The main characteristics of Japanese food are that it’s light and healthy, low in fat and calories, so... it’s pretty well-suited for people trying to lose weight, isn’t it?

"Hmph! So what if I’m fat? If you dare dump me, I’ll have Yueyue bite you!"

Ning Ruoxi huffed, muttering under her breath, "I just genuinely want to eat Japanese food."

"Japanese food it is, then."

Ye Ling chuckled. He suddenly remembered that He Jian and the others had recommended a Japanese restaurant to him before, so he said,

"Let’s go to the International Finance Center. I know a good place there, and we can do some shopping while we’re at it."