After Mu Jiahe entered a string of numbers, the waiter looked at the contents and said, "You have twelve bottles of wine stored in our establishment, none of which have been opened. Which bottle would you like to drink today?"
Mu Jiahe thought for a moment. "Number 6!"
The waiter bowed to her, then turned towards Xiao Xun and said as he stood up, "Very well, I wish you both a pleasant meal."
The piano music concluded with a flourish, and the musician bowed to the audience. No one applauded.
Next, a cellist took the stage. Although no one was listening, he played with great passion, seemingly lost in his performance.
Shortly thereafter, a waiter approached Mu Jiahe, holding a bottle of red wine wrapped in a white towel. He unwrapped it, revealing the label and seal. "Is this the bottle?" he asked.
Mu Jiahe glanced at it and nodded.
"Shall I open it now, or..."
"Open it!"
With a professional corkscrew, the waiter extracted the cork and poured the viscous, blood-red wine into a decanter.
Xiao Xun couldn't appreciate red wine, only finding the aroma pleasant. It was quite different from the discounted dry red his father had bought for them to try last Chinese New Year.
Seeing that the wine had decanted sufficiently, Mu Jiahe said to Xiao Xun, "Have a glass!"
Xiao Xun waved his hand and pulled out his car keys. "Perhaps not for me! I still have to drive."
"Don't you know there's a profession called a designated driver? There are only a few bottles of this wine in the world. Each one opened means one less. Try it!"
Xiao Xun looked at the bottle the waiter was holding so carefully. The foreign text on it wasn't the usual alphabet he was accustomed to.
Mu Jiahe gestured for the waiter to pour. The waiter carefully picked up the decanter and poured a quarter of a glass for each of them.
Mu Jiahe swirled her glass. Judging by the wine's legs, she knew this drink wouldn't be cheap.
After the meal, the waiter brought the bill. Mu Jiahe signed it and handed it back. The waiter bowed to them and left.
Mu Jiahe stood up. "Let's go! We need to finish shopping and get back. I'm tired."
Xiao Xun looked at Mu Jiahe curiously. She didn't seem tired at all, but since the boss had spoken, he, as her subordinate, had to comply.
While others worked 996, he felt like he was working 007. It was too miserable.
To save time, Mu Jiahe took Xiao Xun to a shop she frequented. Pointing to a two-tone casual suit, she asked, "Do you have his size?"
The salesperson immediately got the suit for Xiao Xun to try on. If it fit, they swiped the card. Then, they bought leather shoes, daily necessities, pajamas, and slippers.
Looking at the bill, Xiao Xun's eyes nearly bulged out. Even winning the first prize in a lottery wouldn't get him many of these items.
After buying Xiao Xun's things, Mu Jiahe picked out a diamond necklace at a jewelry store.
Between the expensive wine and the precious jewelry, Xiao Xun wondered if it was a special occasion for Mu Jiahe.
However, laden with bags, Xiao Xun was almost exhausted.
After calling for a designated driver, within five minutes, a driver wearing a white helmet and carrying a foldable electric scooter emerged from the elevator.
He approached Xiao Xun. "Sir, did you call for a ride?"
Xiao Xun nodded and handed him the car keys. The driver looked at the keys. "Sir, I can't drive this car."
"It's okay, I'll teach you. I'll give you extra money as compensation for the shock, alright?"
The designated driver looked like he was about to cry. "Sir, even if you teach me, I wouldn't dare! If I scratch it, they wouldn't be able to afford to compensate even if they sold me by the pound!"
Mu Jiahe seemed eager to leave and urged from behind, "This car is fully insured. Drive it boldly. As long as you don't intentionally crash into utility poles or drive into ditches, speed doesn't matter."
Xiao Xun patted the designated driver's shoulder. "See, our boss has spoken. Don't worry!"
Ultimately, the designated driver agreed. He abandoned his electric scooter, placed it to the side, took a seat cover from his backpack, and put it on the driver's seat. He took off his jacket, stuffed it into his bag, and put on a pair of pristine white gloves.
"Sir, shall we depart then?"
Xiao Xun nodded. The designated driver fastened his seatbelt. Indeed, he didn't know how to drive.
Xiao Xun taught the designated driver the same way Mu Jiahe had taught him: where to start the ignition, how to turn on the lights, and how to shift gears.
As a professional, the designated driver quickly got the hang of it and drove more smoothly and faster than Xiao Xun.
Xiao Xun could tell that the designated driver was very excited to drive this car, his expression betraying his emotions.
When the car reached the entrance of the residential complex, Xiao Xun remembered something. He asked the designated driver, "It's quite a distance back to the city. How will you get back later?"
The designated driver looked troubled. "I'll figure it out myself."
Mu Jiahe lowered the car window and said to the gatekeeper, "Have someone drive this driver back to the city."
Two security guards walked over and saluted Mu Jiahe. "Yes, Ms. Mu."
Then, one of the guards knocked on the driver's side window and said to the designated driver, "Please get out. We'll handle the rest."
The designated driver, flattered, unlocked the door and got out. Xiao Xun jiggled his phone. "The payment for the designated driver has been sent."
"Received, thank you, sir."
The other guard said to the designated driver, "Get in. We'll take you back."
They returned to the villa. As the security guards got out of the car, they removed the seat cover from the seat and threw it into a nearby trash can.
Then, they helped Xiao Xun carry the shopping bags to the entrance, saluting them. "Ms. Mu, if there's nothing else, I'll be leaving."
After receiving Mu Jiahe's permission, the guard gently closed the door and exited.
As soon as the guard left, Mu Jiahe grabbed Xiao Xun's arm with one hand and began to take off her high heels with the other. These heels were a bit harder to remove than yesterday's.
Xiao Xun's body instantly stiffened, and his face turned bright red.
After changing her shoes, Mu Jiahe directly said to Xiao Xun, "I'm going to rest. You should get to bed early too."
Xiao Xun mechanically nodded, took out the leather slippers from today's shopping bags, and put his sneakers inside.
Even though he had better ones now, he hadn't forgotten his old ones. He looked at the shoes in the bag and said, "Thank you for accompanying me during this time."
As the saying goes, clothes make the man. After returning to his room, Xiao Xun eagerly changed into his new clothes. He looked like a completely different person. It seemed that expensive things were expensive for a reason; wearing them immediately elevated his presence.
Xiao Xun walked on the carpet in his leather slippers, feeling incredibly comfortable. He looked at the sole of the shoe. "How are these shoes made? They're so comfortable."
Since the kitchen was directly opposite his room, he opened the refrigerator door and saw that the ingredients had been replaced with fresh ones. His bed was also neatly made. He knew it must have been the housekeeper.
Although it was a large villa for two people, Xiao Xun always felt as if he were the only one living there.
This feeling intensified in the quiet hours of the night when he couldn't sleep.
His mind filled with all sorts of strange and wild thoughts, causing his hair to stand on end. He quickly got out of bed and locked his room door.
Lying on the bed, he thought, "I really don't know how Ms. Mu dared to live in such a large house alone before. If something happened, no one would know."
He supposed that rich people could truly endure loneliness. No wonder they could make so much money.