The car continued to drive, then exited an overpass, turned a few corners, and stopped in front of a shop.
This was the gathering place for top luxury brands.
Concierge staff rushed to open the car door for Su Yue, then went around to the driver's seat to park Chen Ziming's car.
"Why are we here?" she asked, feeling a mix of confusion and unease.
"To give you a gift." He walked to her side and took her hand.
"Things here are too expensive, I don't want it."
She tried to pull away, but he gave her no chance, frowning as he looked at her and said softly,
"What I bought for you, you can have."
Just as Su Yue was about to refuse again, a beautiful and radiant staff member emerged. Seeing them, she greeted them warmly, "Hello Officer Chen, are you here to pick up some jewelry?"
She immediately looked back at Su Yue and said in surprise, "Is this your girlfriend? She's truly beautiful, no wonder you're so attentive. Hello, pretty sister, I'm the store manager, you can call me Molly~"
Pick up jewelry? She was a little bewildered.
From what she heard, this was pre-arranged?
Chen Ziming smiled politely at her and led Su Yue into the store. She hesitated for a moment before following, not wanting to embarrass him in front of an outsider.
The store manager led them into the VIP service area, a very private and elegant environment.
This was Su Yue's first time in such a place. Normally, she'd only look from the shop window. She still needed to save money and couldn't often buy such expensive items.
And these VIP service areas were exclusively for dignitaries and prominent figures who had spent considerable sums.
Chen Ziming once again refreshed her perception of him.
Now, sitting on a large, soft sofa, her heart fluttered with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.
Naturally, she couldn't accept anything from here... but she also wanted to see what kind of things were presented in such a place.
The store manager produced a very exquisite jewelry box from a safe and then came before Su Yue.
It was a crown-shaped jewelry box, its overall color a rose gold. It was inlaid with many decorations using crystals and diamonds. At the very top of the crown was a particularly dazzling agate.
Even just the box itself left her astonished.
She instantly understood the idiom "to buy the casket and return the pearl."
"This necklace requires customization. The processing time is usually longer, but because Officer Chen needed it urgently, I put in a lot of effort to get it ready ahead of schedule."
The store manager smiled and opened the box.
A shimmering necklace was revealed.
The necklace was double-stranded. One strand was made of pearls, while the other was a white material chain with a pattern, also adorned with small pearls and tiny diamonds. The pearl strand could be detached. If not detached, it appeared even more noble and beautiful with the white gold chain.
But compared to the pendant, everything else seemed dim.
It was a dazzling diamond, intricately and exquisitely set in the center of a border resembling the sun, moon, and stars, while the rest of it was also encrusted with sparkling small diamonds.
"The main diamond is five carats, and the small diamonds add up to one carat. Here is the certificate." The store manager, seeing the stunned girl, knew she was captivated. She then turned to Chen Ziming and handed him the certificate.
"Go pick out some matching clothes and shoes for her. Come back in when I call you." Although he was speaking to the store manager, his gaze was fixed on Su Yue.
She was clearly very taken with the necklace.
"Do you like it?"
Just as Su Yue was mesmerized, the man's deep voice sounded by her ear.
She jumped in surprise and looked at him. His eyes were gentle, waiting for her reply.
Yes, she certainly liked it. Who wouldn't?
But she couldn't accept it. A five-carat solitaire diamond, plus one carat of small diamonds. Add the pearls, brand premium, and service fees... she dared not even imagine the price of this necklace.
Why was he giving her such an expensive gift? It made her very uneasy.
In the past, when men gave her expensive things, their intentions were obvious. Of course, the most expensive they gave her was only hundreds of thousands. She had never encountered someone as generous as Chen Ziming.
Because of this, she was even more hesitant to accept it.
"I don't want it, Officer Chen." She finally spoke, her voice soft but her gaze firm.
"Why not?" His expression turned a little colder as he asked.