Recalling the heartless words she had once spoken, recalling how she had tried so hard to make him jealous... Luo Xi’s lips were ashen.

But in her eyes, the last straw's glimmer burst forth! *In the afternoon.

At the bookstore. In front of rows of low bookshelves, Yin Xia Mo’s gaze slowly swept over the volumes; she occasionally reached out to take a book, lowering her head to flip through its pages.

Xiao Cheng had already begun undergoing the preliminary checks for the kidney transplant, but the doctor had told her that Xiao Cheng’s body needed to be in optimal condition before the surgery, and the fainting spell from fatigue a few days ago should be avoided as much as possible. Xiao Cheng was truly obedient, agreeing with a smile that he would reduce his drawing time from now on and ensure he got more rest.

So, she planned to buy a few art books for Xiao Cheng to look at, so he could pass the tedious hours in his hospital room. Originally, she had intended to go to the bookstore alone, but Ouchen happened to show up and accompanied her here.

The bookstore was deathly quiet. Yin Xia Mo slid an art book back onto the shelf, and when she looked up, she noticed the shop remained eerily deserted—just the two of them as customers.

She had visited this bookstore several times before; it was a specialist art bookshop. Although not vast, its comprehensive selection usually meant quite a few patrons were always present.

The desolation today felt so unnervingly profound... She quietly looked toward Ouchen.

Ouchen stood before a nearer row of shelves, a stack of selected books already piled beside him—all art volumes. He picked up another book and began flipping through it seriously, his long fingers distinctly jointed.

He seemed much thinner than in the past few days, and the green lace remained tied around his wrist. Since agreeing to Ouchen’s exchange conditions that night in the hospital, everything seemed finalized, and the media almost instantly learned of her impending marriage to him.

Yin Xia Mo felt utterly hollow inside. She didn't want to know how the news of the wedding had spread, and she had long grown numb to the vicious attacks leveled against her by the media.

This must be the price she had to pay; there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. To obtain what she desired, an equivalent price invariably had to be exacted.

She took a shallow breath. Pulling her thoughts back, she swiftly placed the selected art books into the shopping basket and headed toward the checkout counter.

“Have you selected everything?” A low male voice sounded, and a hand took the shopping basket from her grasp. Yin Xia Mo hesitated slightly, but ultimately allowed him to take the basket.

Since she had decided to marry him, she might as well gradually grow accustomed to his presence. “...Yes, everything.” There was one collection Xiao Cheng particularly liked, From Monet To Picasso, which she hadn't managed to find, but she didn't want to tell Ouchen.

If he knew, he would undoubtedly go to great lengths to secure it for her, and that prospect would make her feel suffocated. “That will be exactly 298 Yuan,” the young clerk at the register said sweetly after swiftly calculating the total cost of the books in Yin Xia Mo’s basket.

“Thank you.” As Yin Xia Mo reached into her purse for her wallet, a gold card was already presented to the clerk before she could, causing her to start slightly. Her fingers immediately moved from the card in her wallet to the actual cash; she quickly pulled out three hundred Yuan and told the clerk, “Please use mine; I have cash.” Her voice was quiet, yet there was an unmistakable tone of resolve within the words.

The clerk looked helplessly at Ouchen, as if seeking direction. Ouchen gazed intently at Yin Xia Mo.

She did not turn to look at him, simply placing the money on the counter. In the afternoon light, her skin appeared so pale it was almost translucent.

Bubble Summer III