He's Not Her Husband, How to Sell Sincerity

"Aunt Qimeng, it seems the clothing store you're taking me to is really popular!"

"There are so many people here—carrying a bag is making it hard to walk."

"Could you slow down a bit for me?"

Lin Yu spoke while holding Chen Qimeng's hand, moving slowly through the crowd.

[Ding!]

[Masterful move! The Saint's casual intimate gesture sends the acting sect leader's heart racing!]

[Reward: 50 spirit stones.]

Chen Qimeng reacted a beat too late.

Only when she felt Lin Yu's firm grip did she hurry to match his pace.

She glanced down discreetly at their clasped hands, her cheeks flushing pink.

Then, like a spinning top, her head turned—

Looking left, right, front, and back.

She scanned the crowd for any familiar faces!

Pingchuan wasn’t exactly a small city, but it wasn’t huge either.

In a packed place like this, running into someone you knew wasn’t unusual!

Fortunately, after a thorough check—

No one she recognized was around.

That eased her nerves a little.

Then it occurred to her—

Even if they did bump into an acquaintance, chances were they wouldn’t know Lin Yu.

He Jing, her longtime friend, had only met him recently.

Other casual "acquaintances" would probably just assume they were a couple with an age gap.

They wouldn’t suspect the real nature of their relationship.

With that thought, feeling the warmth from his hand—

Chen Qimeng quickened her steps to keep up with Lin Yu.

At the same time, she subtly adjusted her grip—

From being passively led to actively holding on.

The warmth between them shifted—

From palm-to-back to palm-to-palm.

[Ding!]

[Critical hit! The acting sect leader's intimidating aura strikes fear into the Black Bear and Yellow Lion Gang!]

[Reward: 50 + 20 spirit stones.]

Lin Yu couldn’t help but smirk.

He noticed every little reaction from Aunt Qimeng when he took her hand.

Who would’ve thought—

Her unconscious nervousness—

Would scare off the [Black Bear and Yellow Lion Gang] tailing them!

These pickpockets really had weak nerves!

Just as Lin Yu expected—

Noticing Chen Qimeng’s constant glances around—

The two thieves pretended to be busy three times over.

Now, they were fiddling with phone cases at a nearby stall.

Yellow Lion muttered under his breath, eyes darting forward:

"Brother Bear, did that woman spot us?"

"She keeps looking around—we can’t get close!"

Black Bear scowled, his brows furrowed:

"Spot your ass! She’s looking for her husband!"

Yellow Lion looked baffled:

"They… they’re married? How can you tell?"

Black Bear gave him a look like he was an idiot: "..."

Then—

He smacked Yellow Lion’s head again.

"When the hell will you grow a brain?"

"That kid ain’t her husband!"

This slap was even harder than the last.

Yellow Lion winced, rubbing his sore head.

"If he’s not her husband, then he’s not! Why hit me, Brother Bear?"

"I’m not her husband either—"

"Holy sht!!"

Mid-complaint—

Yellow Lion suddenly caught on.

"Brother Bear, you mean they’re sneaking around?!"

Black Bear shoved him forward, urging him not to lose track of their targets.

Then he explained in a low voice:

"That look in her eyes—I know it too damn well!"

"Remember that floozy from Xinxin Hair Salon?"

"When I took her out, she acted the same way."

"Afraid of running into her husband, or anyone who knew him."

"Even if she saw a regular customer, she’d bolt like a rabbit."

Yellow Lion had an epiphany and blurted:

"So that’s how you knew! Makes sense now."

"Of course I remember that woman from the salon!"

"Didn’t her husband catch you and—"

Halfway through, he sensed the murderous aura and shut his mouth.

……

Chen Qimeng and Lin Yu entered the clothing store.

The walls were lined with racks of new arrivals.

Every inch of space was utilized—over 80% of the shop was packed.

Wherever a hanger could fit, clothes were crammed in.

The three narrow aisles left barely enough room for two people to walk side by side.

Anyone slightly larger would have to go solo.

Such a no-frills shopping layout was unique to underground markets!

Before turning 26 in his past life—

Lin Yu had frequented this street for clothes.

Later, after joining a bigger company and earning more, his social scenes changed.

That was when his shopping habits shifted.

Then, with the rise of live-streamed sales—

The clothing street’s vendors dwindled until it was eventually replaced by a food alley.

Returning here now, Lin Yu felt like he’d stepped into another era.

"Xiao Yu, what do you think of these shorts?"

"The fabric feels decent, though the dark color might bleed at first."

"Washing them separately a couple of times should fix it."

Chen Qimeng held up a pair of navy-blue shorts, sizing them against Lin Yu.

Without hesitation, Lin Yu raised his hand and called out to the shop owner, who was chatting with another customer:

"Boss, how much for these shorts?"

The owner—a middle-aged woman—turned and said to her current customer:

"Ma’am, feel free to browse. I’ll be right back."

Then she hurried over to Lin Yu.

A forty-something woman versus a guy in his early twenties—

Which sale was more likely to close? She knew the answer.

"Handsome, you’ve got great taste!"

"This just arrived yesterday. Sold three already at 150 each."

"Only two sizes left—I’ll let it go for 120."

"You’re slim—they’ll fit you perfectly."

After hyping up the item’s "exclusivity" and "value"—

She put on a busy act, shouting to another customer:

"Miss, take your time looking! I’ll help you in a sec."

Whether the other customer cared or not didn’t matter.

She was just creating a sense of urgency—

Subtly telling Lin Yu and Chen Qimeng:

"Buy or don’t—I’ve got plenty of customers. This sale isn’t a big deal."

If this were a typical 20-year-old guy—

He’d either haggle or pay outright.

Men shopped quickly—one male customer in this street was worth several female ones.

Chen Qimeng was about to speak when Lin Yu squeezed her hand.

Keeping his smile, he ignored the owner’s pressure and said leisurely:

"Oh, that’s pricey. What’s your best offer?"

……

(Second update today—one more chapter coming soon!)