NOVEL WEB Chapter 32: Brother-in-law Paid For Them
The salesperson brought over a pair of women's sneakers and smiled. "You have such small feet, miss. It's rare to find size 33, but we managed to locate them for you."
"Not just small—your feet are beautiful, too," Ryan said with a broad smile, generously complimenting her.
Vera's face flushed even redder, but her eyes softened. She glanced shyly at the sneakers, her gaze lingering a bit longer, "Brother, there are other nice shoes too,"
Ryan noticed her interest earlier when they passed by the store. He leaned in slightly, "Do you like these shoes?"
Blushing, Vera nodded, "At school, we're required to wear sneakers in class. This style is really popular. I've seen so many girls wearing them."
Sensing the wistfulness in her voice, Ryan didn't hesitate. He gently pulled her into the store without another word.
He hummed a light tune as he picked up a pair of disposable socks and slipped them onto her feet himself. Then, with care, he helped her into the sneakers. "Stand up and walk around a bit—let's make sure they fit,"
Vera stood and took a few steps, her eyes sparkling with joy she couldn't hide.
Ryan asked, "How do they feel? Do they fit well?"
"Perfectly! Brother-in-law, you're so kind!"
Hearing her say this, Ryan grinned and didn't hesitate to swipe his card again, taking her shopping all over the mall. They ended up buying slippers, sandals, and more.
By the time they were heading home, the taxi was packed with bags. Vera sat quietly, her delicate hand still held tightly by Ryan, who occasionally caressed it.
Her face turned pink, and she trembled slightly, but she didn't pull away. For the first time, Vera let herself fully enjoy the experience of shopping, her heart light with happiness.
Despite the excitement, unease began to creep in as she glanced at the pile of purchases. "Brother-in-law, you spent so much today. How are you going to explain it to my second sister?"
Ryan chuckled and waved her concern away. "Don't worry about her—she doesn't dare meddle in my business."
Seeing her gaze soften, Ryan lifted her small hand to his lips and planted a light kiss.
"As long as my baby is happy, it's all worth it," he said with a teasing smile.
Although Ryan's actions were bold, he always moved gradually, never rushing, allowing Vera to grow accustomed to his small gestures.
"Promise me one thing," Vera said cautiously.
"You can't tell my second sister or my mom how much all of this cost. If they find out, my sister will yell at me, and my mom will definitely slap me."
Her tone was half-serious, half-pleading, her eyes full of worry.
Ryan grabbed her hand and kissed it again, flashing a sly smile. "Don't worry—soon, there'll be more and more secrets between brother-in-law and sister-in-law."
The driver, overhearing the exchange, gave a strange yet knowing smile as he kept his eyes on the road. Vera, thoroughly embarrassed, glared at Ryan but remained silent.
When they arrived home, Vera hurried to her room to unpack her things. She changed into her school clothes, getting ready to leave. Meanwhile, Ryan lounged on the sofa in the living room, smoking a cigarette and feeling puzzled.
Despite a whole day filled with teasing and flirtation, there was no sign of favorability points or system task triggers. "What's going on?" he muttered to himself.
The task mechanics were still unclear. And then there was that extra side task—"apologize with a dick in her mouth"—likely tied to that alluring woman in the Ferrari. Ryan suspected she was Mrs. Biggs, the wife of the president of Tiger Real Estate—a powerful figure rumored to have ties to both the criminal underworld and legitimate business.
In her room, Vera stared at the shopping bags scattered on the floor. Her thoughts were a mix of excitement and guilt. She sat at her computer, totaled the receipts, and found they'd spent over 6,000 dollars.
A part of her was secretly happy, her anger about Ryan snooping through her text messages almost forgotten. But the figure on the screen left her slightly anxious.
Hearing footsteps descending the stairs, she quickly changed into her military training camouflage uniform, affixed her school badge, and tied her hair into a neat ponytail. The simple outfit made her look fresh and adorably youthful.
Vera's high school was the most prestigious private school in the city. Students with top grades could gain admission at minimal cost, receiving monthly food subsidies and scholarship opportunities. However, those who didn't meet the academic criteria could still attend—if they could afford the exorbitant sponsorship fees. As a result, the school had a mix of brilliant students and the children of wealthy elites.
When their taxi approached the school gate, the traffic was heavy, with luxury cars causing a bottleneck. Ryan paid the driver and got out with Vera. She immediately shook his hand off, her cheeks turning red.
"Brother-in-law, you can't come with me. It'll be a problem if the teachers see us together," she whispered hurriedly.
"Got it, got it," Ryan replied, chuckling. "I'll let you get in line."
The queue to pay fees was long, stretching down the block. As they waited, Vera kept her head down, lost in thought. After a while, she glanced up and asked softly, "Brother-in-law, when will your friend's phone arrive?"
"Why? In such a hurry?" Ryan teased, lightly ruffling her hair.
"You know," he added with a playful grin, "it's funny, baby. You haven't called me a pervert or a creep all day. I'm almost starting to miss it."
"Stinky brother-in-law… you peeked!"
Vera's tone at this moment sounded playful, almost coquettish.
Her school had two types of dormitories for both boys and girls, which were considered quite grand. The first option was an old dormitory building with basic eight-person rooms. These rooms only had two ceiling fans and a shared bathroom located on the first floor. The second option was a newer dormitory building with four-person rooms. These rooms had much better conditions, including air conditioning, private bathrooms, and toilets, though they were half the size of the eight-person dormitories.
The price difference was significant: the older dormitory was free, while the newer one cost $1,000 per semester.
Ryan, ever generous, naturally chose the latter for Vera. He also topped up her meal card with another $1,000, enthusiastically running around to ensure she had everything she needed.
"Brother-in-law, you can't let Mom know about this, or she'll scold me to death!" Vera exclaimed for what felt like the hundredth time in the past two days.
"I know, I know. You're starting to sound as nagging as your mom," Ryan teased, ruffling her hair. "I'll take you to pick out new things this evening."
"Okay!" Vera replied with a sweet smile, her girlish shyness making her look especially adorable.
The daily necessities she brought from home were far from ideal. Her cups and washbasins were old, and the shampoo Olivia had given her was either no-name or outright fake. Her bedding was even worse: mismatched old sheets and pillows in garish bright red and purple colors. Ryan took one look at them and, without a word, tossed them into the trash.
Later that evening, Ryan returned home and flopped onto the sofa, exhausted. Shopping with a woman was no easy task. Checking his bank balance, he found it had dropped below $180,000.
The $100,000 reward from the first Sweet Wife mission hadn't even been enough to cover the cost of three bracelets he'd bought. And today alone, he had spent another $10,000 on his sister-in-law.
Still, Ryan admitted that spending money brought results—and he enjoyed the thrill of it. Now, he was impatient to start new tasks that could replenish his funds.
When Lily came home, she saw her husband sprawled on the sofa and sleeping soundly. She tiptoed upstairs, where Vera was just finishing hanging up her freshly washed clothes. Guilt flashed across Vera's face when she saw her sister.
"You little spender," Lily teased, noticing the new lingerie Vera had bought. She touched one of the pieces, commenting, "The quality's great, and the style is nice too. You've got good taste."
"Well, who else would spoil a sister-in-law if not her brother-in-law?" Vera joked, laughing as she carefully hid the price tags and receipts.
"These really are good quality. Were they expensive?"
"I don't know," Vera replied with a shrug. "Brother-in-law paid for them."
Lily smiled knowingly, then went to change her clothes. She glanced in the mirror and sighed to herself, worried that her clothes felt tighter.