After a long time, their lips parted.

Chen Cheng took the record from Guan Juer's hand, took both of her hands in his, and gazed at her with a gentle look in his eyes.

He said softly, "Guan Guan, be my girlfriend."

For a moment, Guan Juer stood frozen on the spot, but then, a surge of joy immediately leapt into her heart; she was delighted.

Looking into Chen Cheng's eyes, Guan Juer nodded somewhat shyly, "Mm!"

Scum smiled triumphantly and reached out to pull Guan Juer into his arms.

It was a long time before the two reluctantly separated.

"Whew~"

Guan Juer took a deep breath to steady her emotions.

Chen Cheng looked at Guan Juer's charmingly naive appearance, the corners of his mouth harder to suppress than an AK, one hand never letting go of hers.

He glanced at the record he had just picked up and set back down, then asked Guan Juer:

"Guan Guan, do you like Dvorak?"

Eh?

Guan Juer looked at Chen Cheng with some pleasant surprise, "Brother Cheng, you listen to classical music too?"

Uh...

Guan Juer's question left Chen Cheng a bit speechless.

He couldn't exactly say he had a socialite canary in New York, that attending concerts was a common occurrence, and that he'd listened to quite a few while accompanying her.

Chen Cheng still resorted to his shameless specialty, the corners of his mouth curling slightly, "Mm, I listen occasionally."

"I really like the fourth movement of his Ninth Symphony, 'From the New World.' It's magnificent, like a torrent of steel, with a sense of being a sovereign ruler whom none can match."

Guan Juer nodded quickly with joy, "The exile is no longer in exile!"

She was as excited as if she had met a soulmate.

And he's still my boyfriend.

At this moment, Guan Juer couldn't wait to share this joy with the whole world.

The two of them strolled around the record store for a while longer, hand in hand.

Guan Juer bought a copy of Karajan's 'Dvorak: New World' as a gift for Chen Cheng.

Scum accepted it gladly.

He conveniently bought a record player, planning to go back and brush up on his knowledge.

Being a soulmate boyfriend wasn't that easy after all, was it?

On the way back, Chen Cheng drove while the car stereo played Chopin's 'Nocturne.'

Scum skillfully manipulated the steering wheel with one hand while holding Guan Juer's hand with the other.

Neither of them spoke, just quietly enjoying this moment of tranquility and beauty.

Guan Juer tilted her head, watching the scenery flash by outside the window, the corners of her mouth turning up unconsciously, her face brimming with a joyful smile.

Chen Cheng parked the car at the entrance of the underground lobby of Building Six, turned his head, and said to Guan Juer:

"I'll walk you up."

Guan Juer thought about it and shook her head like a rattle.

Chen Cheng understood her shyness, "With so many books, how can you carry them all by yourself?"

Uh...

Guan Juer thought for a moment, "How about I take some up first, and leave the rest in the car for now?"

Chen Cheng considered it and nodded, "That works too."

With a smile on her lips, Guan Juer nodded and was about to get out of the car.

Chen Cheng looked at Guan Juer with a mischievous grin, "Guan Guan, did you forget something?"

"Ah? What?"

Scum pointed to his cheek, "Where's your boyfriend's goodnight kiss?"

After speaking, he leaned his face toward her.

A flush of crimson immediately rose on Guan Juer's pretty face.

She thought about it, then puckered her lips to kiss Chen Cheng.

Just as her lips were about to touch his cheek, Scum turned his head and met them with his own lips.

Guan Juer's eyes instantly widened; she immediately pulled back and covered her mouth with her hand.

She saw Chen Cheng laughing mischievously.

Guan Juer pouted, huffed, pushed open the car door, and ran toward the lobby entrance.

Her heart was incredibly joyful and excited at this moment.

She was halfway there when she realized she'd forgotten the books, so she stopped and ran back to grab them from the back seat.

Chen Cheng was very happy seeing her cute appearance, a smile he couldn't hide in his eyes, "Goodnight!"

Guan Juer pouted, gave a soft "Hmph!", and turned to run away.

Chen Cheng sat in the car watching Guan Juer's charming figure, his heart equally filled with joy.

He unconsciously started whistling and humming a song.

Before entering the elevator, Guan Juer even turned back to wave at him.

Seeing Guan Juer's favorability at 88, Chen Cheng couldn't be happier.

At this moment, Chen Cheng somewhat understood the saying 'Love begins one knows not where, but it grows ever deeper.'

Only after Guan Juer disappeared into the elevator hall did Scum drive to his parking spot.

After parking, Scum carried the record player and the record Guan Juer had given him, humming a song as he went upstairs.

Being in love made even the buttons in the elevator look cute.

Fan Shengmei was lying on the sofa, blissfully applying a facial mask.

Scum had just given her fifty thousand yuan the day before yesterday. After Chen Cheng left that night, Fan Shengmei was so restless she couldn't sleep; she only fell into a peaceful slumber after clearing out her shopping cart.

Today, some of the packages had already started arriving one after another.

And now, she was already enjoying them.

This lace mask on her face cost three thousand for a box of four, making each one over seven hundred yuan.

She'd never had this kind of luxury before; Fan Shengmei was feeling wonderful right now.

Hearing the door open and seeing Guan Juer come in, she grinned and greeted her loudly.

"Guan Guan, you're back."

Guan Juer nodded reservedly, "Sister Fan, have you already showered?"

Fan Shengmei said irritably, "Look at what time it is."

Guan Juer raised her hand to check her watch, "It's already past ten."

Fan Shengmei looked at the two bags of books in Guan Juer's hands, her eyes narrowing as she remembered Guan Juer asking Chen Cheng for a book list the day before yesterday.

The corners of her mouth curled as she teased, "Oh? Who did you go to the bookstore with?"

Guan Juer's face turned red, and she stubbornly replied, "No one, I... I just stopped by on my way home from work."

Fan Shengmei rolled her eyes, "You silly girl, still trying to play it cool with me? I smelled it the moment you walked in."

"Ah?" Guan Juer was startled and raised her arm to sniff her sleeve, "I don't smell anything."

Fan Shengmei was speechless, "Talk about a guilty conscience; you gave yourself away with one bluff."

Guan Juer finally realized what happened and pouted, "Ah? Sister Fan, you tricked me."

"Hmph, out with it. Which man did you go to the bookstore with?"

Fan Shengmei teased her verbally, but in her heart, a sliver of hope remained; she hoped it wasn't Chen Cheng.

If it was, then wouldn't she, a canary who took monthly payments, have to live under the same roof as the 'Official Wife' in the future?

Before being found out, the awkwardness didn't really matter.

But if she were exposed, the spit from people's gossip could drown a 'Mistress' like her.

Seducing a best friend's man was simply unforgivable.

Guan Juer forced herself to stay calm, her tone very casual, "I just happened to run into Brother Cheng at noon, so we made plans to go to the bookstore after work."

Fan Shengmei's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, completely died. That dog of a man was quite something, 'happened to run into' her...

After a two-second pause, Fan Shengmei switched to a gossipy expression and raised an eyebrow, "How far have things progressed?"

...