Chapter 91: A Tale as Old as Time: The Fake Boyfriend

Ding Ruoshui chuckled softly, "It’s perfectly normal that you haven’t heard of it, because it’s not something you can buy in stores."

"High-end custom?"

"Not really custom-made, more like my brother got inspired and made it himself as a birthday gift for me."

"Your brother can build cars himself?"

"Is it that surprising? Rich kids all have their own way of doing things. His passion is building all sorts of machines."

"That’s true…your passion is painting, your brother’s passion is building cars, and your father’s passion is researching gene technology. Your family really takes your hobbies to the extreme."

"My passion…it seems I misled you!" Ding Ruoshui laughed. "My painting isn’t based on hobby or interest; it’s because I’m a bit…different. My bloodline surges from time to time, and painting helps me keep my mind at peace."

Lin Xiaosu was a little surprised by this.

Was she no longer planning to hide her abilities? Lin Xiaosu’s eyes flickered slightly. "If your bloodline surges and you lose control, what happens?"

"I’m fortunate that I’ve never truly lost control, so I don’t know what would happen, but I imagine it would be quite terrifying." Ding Ruoshui said, "Let’s talk about the next step!"

"You’re the boss now. I’ll follow your lead."

"My parents don’t know I hired a detective, and no one else will either." Ding Ruoshui said, "So, you won’t appear as a detective; you’ll take on a different role."

"What role?"

"My boyfriend!"

"Enter Jiangcheng and your house as your boyfriend?"

"Yes! Once we get to Jiangcheng, we’ll buy some gifts first and go to my house as if you’re a son-in-law meeting his future parents. The acting needs to be very convincing, because I don’t know which of the maids in my house are spies for someone, or which corner has the latest surveillance equipment installed."

"So that’s why you didn’t hire a detective from a Jiangcheng detective agency, and instead went all the way to Feng City?"

"That’s part of it! But not the main reason." Ding Ruoshui said, "The main reason is that you’re good-looking. At least I can get past that hurdle in my own mind if you’re my boyfriend."

Lin Xiaosu hesitated slightly…

Ding Ruoshui’s beautiful eyes sparkled. "What’s wrong? Does adding another layer to your role mean you need more money?"

Lin Xiaosu immediately shook his head. "The money is already outrageous enough! Any more and it’ll be too much! A detective has to be good at disguise and changing identities is normal. No problem, I can accept it! I’m in!"

The car entered Jiangcheng and stopped at a jewelry store first.

The two went inside and quickly came out carrying two boxes.

Then they got back in the car and sped off to Nanhu.

Nanhu was vast.

In Jiangcheng, a metropolis with a population of tens of millions, it was like a pearl in the palm of one’s hand.

At this time of year, the willows were green and the crowds were bustling.

The rippling turquoise waters seemed to move in sync with the rhythm of the metropolis, but the solitary villas along the shores presented a different scene—one of tranquility and peace.

In the shade of the willows, in the small car, Ding Ruoshui pointed to a villa on the east side. "That’s my home."

"This villa must have cost over a hundred million to build, right?"

"Your estimate is quite accurate. The above-ground part cost just over a hundred million."

"Above-ground? What about underground?"

"My father spends most of his time underground! My mother always says that despite my brother and me being long-term spendthrifts, it’s nothing compared to my father. He is the true prodigal." Ding Ruoshui said, "I have something to say, but I don’t know if I should. In terms of spending, the only real spender in my family isn’t anyone else but my mom herself."

Lin Xiaosu understood perfectly!

He knew she was right! Her father probably spent the most money, but did spending money equal being a spendthrift? Research always cost a lot.

Were her brother and her spendthrifts? The amount of money spent didn’t necessarily tell the whole story.

Her mother, on the other hand, was probably a true consumer. Her consumption was what you called "spending," regardless of the amount. Spending a lot was a big waste, while spending a little was a small waste.

"It looks like the ugly son-in-law has to meet the future in-laws. Let’s go!" Lin Xiaosu tapped his finger on the side of the door, and the lock opened.

"Nervous?" Ding Ruoshui smiled softly.

"There’s probably only one type of person who isn’t nervous when facing their future in-laws’ scrutiny: a fake son-in-law like me." Lin Xiaosu laughed. "Knowing it’s fake means I don’t have to overthink it. When a man desires nothing, he rises above earthly concerns. The ancients were right!"

Ding Ruoshui chuckled. The car moved forward and drove through the Ding family’s gates.

The old gatekeeper came out, bowed, and called out to Miss Ding.

The car stopped, and a young man came over to park the car for Ding Ruoshui.

At the entrance to the main hall, two elderly people were pruning flower branches. They lowered their shears and greeted Miss Ding.

Outside the hall, two beautiful maids bowed simultaneously. "Miss, you’re back."

This was the life of the rich.

It wasn’t just about looking at the balance in your bank account, but about supporting a crowd of people, naturally and effortlessly.

Entering the main hall, a middle-aged beauty came down from the second floor. Her clothes were actually quite ordinary, but she had clearly transcended the stage of flaunting her status with clothes.

The world of clothing was quite mysterious.

When you’re poor, you crave a designer brand to show off in public.

When you’re rich, you don’t care about that stuff; you only care about comfort.

When you’re poor, and you spend a year’s salary on a bag, people suspect it’s fake.

When you’re rich, and you tell people that your pants cost seventy yuan at a street stall, people will suspect that the pants are actually worth seven thousand.

The less you have, the more you flaunt.

When you truly have everything, you return to simplicity.

Lin Xiaosu made the above observations during the time it took for the beautiful woman to come down from the second floor…

The beautiful woman’s gaze was firmly drawn to Lin Xiaosu.

Her eyes went through a series of changes: surprise, then happiness.

Because her daughter was holding hands with this young man, and the young man was carrying two boxes.

"Mom, this is my boyfriend. His name is Xiao Su!"

"Auntie, hello!" Lin Xiaosu lifted the two boxes and offered them to the beautiful woman.

Mrs. Ding took them with a smile. "Helai Xuan jewelry. How did you know I liked this brand?"

"Ruoshui told me."

"Helai Xuan’s treasures aren’t cheap. Thank you!" Mrs. Ding gently gestured and called over a maid on her left. She casually handed the two boxes to the maid, indicating that she should put them away.

The maid bowed and retreated.

"Come on, Xiao Su, sit over here!" Mrs. Ding gently waved him over to the main hall.

A maid served fragrant tea.

The tea leaves stood straight up in the cup, and fine hairs were clearly visible.

The highest grade Baihao.

"Xiao Su, what does your family do?"

Ding Ruoshui leaned against Lin Xiaosu, acting like a clinging little bird. She spoke up at this moment, "Mom, his family does seasonal bioengineering cultivation…"

"Seasonal bioengineering cultivation…" Mrs. Ding pondered slightly. "Sounds not bad. What exactly do they do?"

Lin Xiaosu smiled. "Growing vegetables!"

"Growing vegetables?"

"To be precise, my dad works on a construction site, and my mom grows the vegetables alone. The annual yield is probably a few thousand pounds, but these days, vegetables aren’t worth much. The total value is at most twenty or thirty thousand."

The maid beside them widened her eyes.

Mrs. Ding was a little surprised. "Then…you still bought Helai Xuan treasures? Doesn’t it hurt to spend so much money?"

"Ruoshui paid for it. Why would I care?"

Ding Ruoshui facepalmed, her eyes wandering…

Mrs. Ding wore an expression that was both amused and exasperated. "Xiao Su, you’re very candid."

"I think the stupidest thing in the world is to try to act rich in front of rich people."

"To be honest, I can usually tell when someone is trying to pretend to be rich in front of me, but I’m surprised. I don’t see any sign of you being insecure. If you brazenly pretended to be rich, I might not even be able to tell."

Lin Xiaosu smiled. "Because I’m very confident to begin with."

"Where does that confidence come from?" Mrs. Ding was intrigued.

Lin Xiaosu said, "The confidence naturally comes from Ruoshui. If someone as heavenly as Ruoshui can fall for me, why wouldn’t I be confident?"

Mrs. Ding was stunned.

After a long moment, she stood up, walked to the tea table, and pressed a button. "Xiao Li, Lao Zhong! Come up. My daughter’s boyfriend is here."

"Boyfriend? When did she get a boyfriend?" A male voice came from below the button.

"Yes, this boyfriend is quite adorable and has a very strong mental fortitude…" The button popped back up. Mrs. Ding turned around. "Your dad will be up soon. Let him chat with you. I’ll go arrange dinner."

She gracefully left the hall.

Ding Ruoshui and Lin Xiaosu stared at each other, wide-eyed.

Mrs. Ding’s most honest feeling about her daughter’s boyfriend was "shameless," but she deliberately didn’t say "shameless." Instead, she found a shining point and called it: strong mental fortitude.

That was cultivation! That was quality! Ding Ruoshui glanced outside the hall. "It seems like I’ve passed my mom’s test?"

"Be confident. It’s not ‘seems like’!"

"Another confident one…are you really that confident?" Ding Ruoshui’s beautiful eyes sparkled. "Just because I fell for you?"

"That’s one of the reasons!"

"What’s the second reason?"

(End of Chapter)