The crowd instantly erupted in an uproar—now *this* was what you called extravagance!

  Compared to this globally limited-edition Ferrari, that flower-covered Maserati from earlier was practically a child’s toy.

  Zhu Zhihua’s face had turned beet red, unable to comprehend how this loser could afford such an expensive car.

  And this loser was being ridiculously generous—there probably weren’t many men in the world willing to gift a woman a luxury sports car like this in one go.

  "Thank you." After a brief hesitation, Jiang Yan took the keys.

  "Kiss her!"

  "Kiss her!"

  The onlookers began chanting in unison, the atmosphere instantly heating up.

  Jiang Yan clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles turning white. She was terrified that Lin Yu might actually comply. She wanted to refuse, but as his wife, he had every right to do so.

  "Keep dreaming! A wife this beautiful—I’ll save the kissing for when we get home!"

  To her surprise, Lin Yu completely ignored the crowd’s teasing. Smiling, he took Jiang Yan’s hand.

  This time, Jiang Yan didn’t pull away. She glanced up at Lin Yu, feeling an unexpected flicker of gratitude.

  "She’s *my* wife, He Jiarong’s wife. We’re deeply in love. Even though she’s as beautiful as a fairy, none of you stand a chance!" Lin Yu declared loudly, half-joking. For a fleeting moment, even he almost believed his own words.

  "And especially for certain *syphilis patients*—don’t even think about it." Lin Yu shot Zhu Zhihua a cold look.

  Zhu Zhihua’s face instantly darkened. "Who the hell are you calling a syphilis patient?!"

  "You. Your syphilis only cleared up a week ago, and here you are already chasing after women again. Got no shame?" Lin Yu said coolly.

  "Bullshit! When did I ever have syphilis?!" Zhu Zhihua’s face flushed with anger, though his outrage was mostly a cover for his guilt. Lin Yu was right—he *had* contracted syphilis, and it *had* only cleared up a week ago.

  "Then roll up your sleeves and pant legs. Let everyone see the hard scars left by the syphilis rash. If I’m right, you’ll apologize to my wife and scram. If I’m wrong, I’ll let you deal with me however you want. Sound fair?" Lin Yu stared at him confidently.

  "You’re insane! Slandering me like this!"

  Zhu Zhihua cursed while backing away, his face betraying a hint of fear. *How could he know something so private about me?*

  "He Jiarong, just you wait! I won’t let you off the hook!"

  Once he reached his Maserati, Zhu Zhihua spat out one last threat before diving into the car and speeding off in disgrace.

  "Get lost already! A sleazebag like you will probably get AIDS sooner or later!"

  "Yeah, what’s there to show off about that piece of junk?"

  The crowd hurled insults at Zhu Zhihua’s retreating figure. The luxury car they had praised earlier had now been downgraded to a "piece of junk" in their eyes.

  But then again, how could anything compare to the dazzling limited-edition Ferrari?

  People crowded around the Ferrari, snapping photos. Lin Yu, generous as ever, didn’t stop them.

  Only when the crowd had their fill did they reluctantly disperse.

  Once the onlookers were gone, Lin Yu turned to Jiang Yan with a smile. "Want to take it for a spin by the beach?"

  This was the first time he’d ever owned—or even seen—a car this luxurious. As a man, he couldn’t help but feel a little excited.

  To his surprise, Jiang Yan shoved the keys back into his hand and said coldly, "The show’s over. Hurry up and return the car."

  With that, she turned and walked back into the clinic.

  "Huh? What do you mean?" Lin Yu was baffled.

  Jiang Yan stopped and turned, giving him a disdainful look. "What do I mean? Did you get too into your role? Even if you were upset about someone giving me a car, did you really have to rent one just to show off? Isn’t it embarrassing to flaunt something that isn’t yours? I bet this wiped out your entire savings. Have you even considered what’ll happen if you damage such an expensive car? Can you afford to pay for it?"

  Her rapid-fire questions left Lin Yu stunned.

  "You can be vain, but I hope it’s within the limits of your abilities!"

  With that icy remark, Jiang Yan turned and walked into the clinic without another glance.

  Lin Yu was at a loss for words. He could only smile bitterly. He wanted to tell Jiang Yan that the car really *was* his, but given He Jiarong’s well-established reputation as a loser, the truth would sound like a fairy tale.

  After some thought, Lin Yu decided to keep the truth to himself for now. But the Ferrari posed another problem—if he couldn’t drive it home, where could he park it?

  The open-concept, older-style neighborhood where he and his mother lived didn’t have designated parking spaces. Residents just parked their cars—mostly budget domestic brands like Geely and Changan—haphazardly outside their buildings, exposed to the elements.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  Leaving a Ferrari there would be downright cruel.

  After some deliberation, Lin Yu decided to ask a college friend for help.

  Back in university, one of his roommates, Shen Yuxuan, came from a wealthy family in the jewelry business. A genuine car enthusiast, Shen owned over a dozen sports cars. Storing the Ferrari with him seemed like the safest bet.

  Lin Yu found Shen Yuxuan’s WeChat in their old class group and added him under He Jiarong’s identity, explaining that he was a friend of Lin Yu’s and wanted Shen to test-drive a sports car for him.

  The moment Shen heard Lin Yu’s name, he agreed without hesitation. They arranged to meet on Haivan Road in the suburbs—a wide, sparsely trafficked stretch perfect for test drives.

  "I’ll leave the food here. I’m going to return the car now," Lin Yu called out to Jiang Yan before driving off in his Ferrari.

  Though Lin Yu had gotten his driver’s license in college, he wasn’t very experienced behind the wheel—his family had never owned a car.

  Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined his first car would be a supercar like this. It took him a while just to figure out the basics, and he drove cautiously, crawling along the road at a snail’s pace.

  Pedestrians and other drivers couldn’t help but stare, some even snapping photos. The attention only made Lin Yu more nervous, slowing him down even further.

  Finally, a fellow driver he’d repeatedly overtaken (and been overtaken by) snapped. Flipping him off, the man yelled, "Show-off!"

  By the time Lin Yu reached Haivan Road, Shen Yuxuan had already smoked half a pack of cigarettes waiting. Initially annoyed, his eyes lit up the moment he saw Lin Yu’s car.

  "Damn, buddy! How’d you get your hands on this?"

  Shen didn’t even greet Lin Yu properly, circling the Ferrari three times in awe.

  Lin Yu handed him the keys with a smile. "Want to take it for a spin?"

  Shen was taken aback, instantly warming up to Lin Yu. Letting someone test-drive such a car on their first meeting? *Now that’s bold.*

  Without hesitation, Shen took the car for a spin and returned raving about its performance, his admiration obvious.

  "If you like it that much, why not drive it for a while? I don’t even have a place to park it," Lin Yu offered.

  Shen’s jaw nearly hit the ground. They’d exchanged fewer than three sentences, and Lin Yu was already entrusting him with the car?

  This wasn’t just bold—it was downright reckless!

  "You’ve got yourself a new brother! Don’t worry, I’ll treat this car like my own!" Shen couldn’t hide his excitement. Lin Yu’s straightforwardness reminded him of his old friend Lin Yu.

  To Shen, this was their first meeting. But to Lin Yu, it was a reunion with an old friend. He longed to reminisce with Shen, but he couldn’t.

  Over lunch, Shen treated Lin Yu to a meal, and the two got to know each other—or rather, Lin Yu, as He Jiarong, got to know Shen.

  "Brother Shen, how’s life treating you lately? Work going well?"

  At first glance, Lin Yu had noticed a faint dark aura around Shen’s forehead—a sign of bad luck, possibly even impending disaster.

  "Could be better. I’m taking over some of my dad’s business dealings," Shen replied, sounding resigned. His dream had been to become a top-tier surgeon, but his father had forced him into the family trade.

  Lin Yu smiled and didn’t press further. On their way out, he spotted a small general store and asked Shen to wait while he ducked inside.

  He returned with a twenty-yuan jade Guanyin pendant, infused with a protective charm, and handed it to Shen. "A small gift for our first meeting. For protection."

  Lin Yu’s heart ached—the twenty yuan was borrowed from a clinic nurse to buy slippers. Now it was gone. He briefly considered asking Shen to reimburse him but couldn’t bring himself to do it.

  "Thanks."

  Shen took it and, when Lin Yu wasn’t looking, tossed it into the glove compartment.

  It wasn’t that he looked down on Lin Yu—his family’s jewelry store sold jade pendants worth thousands, even tens of thousands. A cheap glass imitation wasn’t worth keeping.

  After storing the car in Shen’s garage, Lin Yu left. Before parting, Shen promised to get him a residential access card so he could drive the Ferrari whenever he wanted.

  ---

  The next day was the weekend. Lin Yu got up early to help his mother make and sell steamed buns. By the time they finished, it was already past one in the afternoon.

  After lunch, Lin Yu had to head out for his appointment to treat Wei Gongxun’s wife.

  But just as they were halfway through the meal, his mother-in-law, Li Suqin, called in a panic. "Jiarong, where are you? What are you doing?"

  "Having lunch, Mom."

  "Oh, you still have time to eat?! Hurry over! Your dad and Yan’er are arguing with someone!"

  "Don’t worry, Mom. I’m on my way."

  After telling his mother, Lin Yu put down his chopsticks and rushed to the address Li Suqin had given him.

  The place was on Antique Street, not far from Qin Xiulan’s bun shop, so Lin Yu ran straight there.

  When he arrived, he tried asking for directions to Bao Yuan Ge, but then he spotted a crowd gathered outside a shop with a sign that read "Bao Yuan Ge" in bold characters.

  Lin Yu pushed through the crowd and entered.

  Inside, he found Jiang Yan and his father-in-law, Jiang Jingren. The older man’s face was red with anger, his entire body trembling as he clutched a scroll and argued with a chubby man—presumably the shop owner.

  "This is *not* the one I picked earlier! It’s a fake! You switched them!" Jiang Jingren shouted.

  The owner remained calm. "Old man, you can eat whatever you want, but you can’t just say whatever you want. This *is* the scroll you chose earlier. Even if it’s fake, that’s on you for not spotting it. Don’t blame others."

  "Nonsense! The one I saw was definitely genuine!"

  Jiang Jingren was so furious he started coughing violently.

  "Dad, calm down. If we have to, we’ll call the police," Jiang Yan said, trying to soothe him while subtly pressuring the owner.

  "The police? Go ahead! Let’s see who they arrest. I’ll tell them *you’re* the ones causing trouble here!" The owner’s confidence stemmed from his older brother being the local police precinct’s captain. In this business, connections were everything.

  "You crooked swindler! Shameless!" Jiang Jingren clutched his chest, looking like he might have a heart attack.

  Worried for his father-in-law’s health, Lin Yu stepped forward. "Dad, don’t get worked up. Let me take a look at the scroll first."

  "What are *you* doing here?" Jiang Yan was surprised to see him.

  "You? What could *you* possibly know?!" Jiang Jingren, frustrated by the owner’s stubbornness, redirected his anger at Lin Yu.

  Unfazed, Lin Yu took the scroll from Jiang Jingren and spread it out on the counter to examine.

  It was an antique landscape painting, about a meter long and half a meter wide, executed in a classical ink-wash style. The composition was grand yet delicate, with meticulous brushwork and an open, balanced layout. Though the artist’s seal in the bottom right corner was faded, the signature identified it as a work by Gu Kaizhi.

  However, based on the style, Lin Yu could tell it was a later imitation.

  "Boss, how much did you sell this to my dad for?"

  In Lin Yu’s eyes, the painting emitted no spiritual glow, meaning it wasn’t worth much—probably not even ten thousand yuan.

  "Even if it’s fake, that’s his fault for not spotting it. I’m telling you—500,000, not a single yuan less!" the owner said firmly.

  *Wow, my father-in-law really splurged.*

  Lin Yu had known Jiang Jingren enjoyed collecting antiques and paintings, but he hadn’t realized the man was willing to spend so much on them.

  With an inward sigh, Lin Yu nodded. "500,000... That’s actually a fair price."

  "What did you just say?!" Jiang Jingren looked like he might spit blood.

  The owner, however, beamed. "Young man, at least *you* know what’s what!"

  The crowd tittered. Amateur "experts" like Lin Yu were a common sight on Antique Street.

  "I said it’s fair, but still a bit high. How about throwing in a little something extra?" Lin Yu pointed to a cluttered shelf near the entrance.

  "No problem! Take whatever you like from there!" The owner’s eyes gleamed. He’d hit the jackpot with this sucker—everything on that shelf was defective or damaged, worth no more than a thousand yuan at most. Even if Lin Yu took it all, the owner would still come out ahead.