"You look much younger in real life. The camera doesn't do you justice," he said frankly.

Qian Meng felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. "You think I am pretty?" she asked pettily, trying to fish for compliments.

He snorted. "I would be surprised if you didn't know that already." His eyes were piercing as they met her. "Most cameras have varied effects depending on your body and the clothes you wear. You dress to maximize the effect you want. Hence, they cannot see the real you. That is only seen by the naked eye."

Qian Meng blinked. "You are saying that the video or picture is a portrayal of what I look to the person behind the lens?" she clarified.

He nodded. "It's not you… therefore, it is hard for people to recognize you even if they see your face frequently on the news." He shrugged.

Very well, then.

And they were in that store for half an hour. Half an hour of Mo Qingchen not liking anything.

"What about that one?" Yun Qian Meng asked, pointing towards something that looked simple but close to what Mo Qingchen liked in things.

Mo Qingchen looked over, his eyes ignoring the man behind the counter. "No, definitely not that one."

Qian Meng sighed. "At least tell me why. What is wrong with that one?" she asked. She hadn't known he was a jewelry connoisseur.

"I don't like the cut," he grumbled before moving to the next.

"Well, it's not going on your finger, is it?" she asked. "I would rather wear something from Venus," she grumbled.

He threw her a glare. "Well, I don't want it on my wife's finger either," he allowed. "You make generic designs of engagement rings at Venus… nothing to suit your personality. I'll give them a hard pass."

Qian Meng scoffed. But she couldn't deny that he was right. Her aesthetic for accessories was different from what they produced but at least she would be wearing her brand.

"Oh my god," she groaned, rubbing her palm over her face. "I'm starting to not even care at this point. This is way more trouble than it is worth."

"Now you have a taste of your own medicine. I went through and let you buy me a new wardrobe, so now you can accept the ring I pick for you," he answered before walking off to go look at another display case.

Engagement ring shopping with Mo Qingchen was about as enjoyable as going to the dentist. He found something wrong with every ring they looked at and it was really starting to piss her off because it wasn't her hand that the ring was going on.

Even the employees at the store were starting to get annoyed with him.

"You know, it's not very often that a couple shops for engagement rings together. Usually, the man does that part alone." The woman behind the counter commented to Qian Meng as Mo Qingchen made his way across the room to one of the only cases they hadn't looked at yet.

"Yeah, well… we are not your average couple," Qian Meng spoke without looking at her.

The female employee that had been helping them was being almost as irritating as Mo Qingchen was. She couldn't stop ogling at him and flirting with him. At one point, she even leaned forward against the counter with her arm crossed under her chest, making her inappropriate amount of cleavage pop in front of Mo Qingchen's face.

God bless the man for being blind because if he had looked, Qian Meng might have gone on a killing spree. Who flirts with somebody else's fiancé while they're engagement ring shopping? That was just trashy and unprofessional.

"I can see that. Your fiancé is… very persistent in what he likes and dislikes."

Qian Meng knew what the woman meant. Yes, Mo Qingchen chose her and he hadn't looked at this woman. He had a distinct taste. But Qian Meng… Qian Meng smiled devilishly as a brilliant idea came to her spiteful mind.

"Well," she said, dropping her voice to a whisper. "I can't hold it against him. See, he's a really bitter man. He has penile dysfunction. So, he's super insecure. I think he subconsciously tries to compensate by being ridiculously controlling with everything else in his life."

"A penile dysfunction?" she whispered back, looking partially intrigued and partially horrified.

"Yeah… it's deformed. Sex is like dipping a pen into a bucket of water. He just can't do anything for me… poor guy." She gave a longing sigh.

The female clasped a hand over her mouth.

"So…" she said, perking back up and feeling better now that she had poked holes in Mo Qingchen's dignity. But then she noticed the employee looking past her.

"Wife, should I be concerned that you had some nightmare or sleepwalked? I think we need to consult a psychiatrist… your delusions are getting worse!" Mo Qingchen said from behind her.

Qian Meng froze and turned slowly. She was doomed. "Ah, we shouldn't have put you off your medicines. I can see it is taking a toll on your sense of reality." He patted her back, faking affection.

Qian Meng cleared her throat. "Can I see a heart cut diamond? I don't think I have tried one of those on yet," she said casually, trying to hide her embarrassment at being caught.

"Um… yeah…. Of course!" the employee stammered, working to recompose herself as she flipped through her key ring to find the key and open the case next to her.

"Qian Meng!" Mo Qingchen called from a couple of cases down. "Come here. I want you to try something on."

He was standing in front of a case with a tall male employee behind it, pulling out a ring that she assumed Mo Qingchen had pointed out to him. Mo Qingchen took the ring from him and held it closer to his face to get a better look.

Qian Meng sighed and walked over to him. When she got to his side, she extended her left hand to him, not even bothering to check out the ring he was holding first.