Xu Yun and Ning Qian arrived at the store.
"Sir, miss, welcome to—"
An enthusiastic male sales associate came up to greet them, but he froze mid-sentence.
They all worked in luxury stores on the same floor of the same mall, so it was only natural that they'd run into each other and be acquainted.
The male sales associate subconsciously called out, "Ning Qian?"
Seeing this, Xu Yun turned to her and asked, "You know him?"
"Mhm."
Ning Qian nodded awkwardly. "I guess you could say that."
"Fine. Since you know him, you two can go ahead and pick something out."
Xu Yun said, "I'm just going to wander around the store. Don't follow me. Just let me know when it's time to pay."
"Yes, Mr. Xu."
Seeing Xu Yun walk off to another section, the male sales associate began helping Ning Qian shop around the store.
While they were picking out clothes, the sales associate asked in a low voice, "Xiaoqian, who was that man just now?"
"Are we close?"
Ning Qian said unhappily, "You don't have the right to call me Xiaoqian!"
"Did you hook up with a sugar daddy?"
Ning Qian replied coldly, "What's it to you?"
"You know I like you!"
The handsome sales associate said, somewhat angry, "Why are you treating me like this?"
It turned out the two of them were from the same hometown. They had grown up together, and the man had been in love with Ning Qian for a long time, pursuing her for years.
But Ning Qian had never accepted.
"Because you're just like me. You have no money."
Ning Qian said in a low voice, "And another thing—shut your mouth, or I'm getting a different sales associate."
The male sales associate: "..."
"And don't send me any more messages or texts. Stop harassing me."
As it turned out, she had chosen this particular store today for a couple of reasons. First, it genuinely had a few outfits suitable for the older woman they were shopping for.
Second, she wanted to take this opportunity to use Xu Yun's status to make her own stance clear.
'I have someone now. He's more handsome than you and richer than you, so you can stop dreaming!'
She wanted to make this man who was pursuing her give up completely and stop harassing her for good.
'A man's tenderness without power is absolute bullshit!'
'Caught a cold? Just tells me to drink more hot water?'
'A stomachache? Just tells me to drink more hot water?'
'If I were dying, would he still just tell me to drink more hot water?'
The life she wanted was one where, if she got sick, she'd have the money to get treatment, not just stay at home drinking hot water!
She wasn't a naive little girl anymore; she knew what she wanted.
That's why Ning Qian had two completely different attitudes when facing this man versus facing Xu Yun.
This was the difference between having money and having none.
Reality was often just that cruel and unreasonable!
Meanwhile, since Xu Yun had said beforehand that he didn't want to be followed, no sales associates were trailing him, as he found it stifling.
Xu Yun discovered the store was huge, carrying all sorts of products: handbags, leather goods, shoes, accessories, clothing, and more.
Before he knew it, he had wandered into the section displaying women's handbags.
And then he saw two familiar figures—it looked like Huang Mengyao and her best friend, Wang Qing.
The two of them were haggling with a sales associate, asking if there was a discount on the bag they were holding.
Hearing someone suddenly approach, Wang Qing glanced back casually and spotted him immediately.
Her expression changed. She tugged on Huang Mengyao's arm and said, "Xu Yun is behind you."
"Xu Yun?"
Huang Mengyao froze for a moment, then turned around. Upon seeing Xu Yun, she asked irritably, "What are you doing here?"
Xu Yun hadn't expected to run into her either. 'What a small world for enemies.'
He had no intention of being pleasant to this bitch.
"If you can be here, why can't I?"
Xu Yun retorted with a smile, "Don't tell me you're using my money to buy bags again?"
"That's my money, it has nothing to do with you. I'll spend it however I want."
Xu Yun thought of the lawyer and chuckled. "I hope you can still talk to me with this much backbone in a few days."
"Hmph!"
Huang Mengyao sneered, "And what about you? Do you have any money? What gives you the right to even browse in here?"
"I don't have any money."
Xu Yun shrugged and replied casually, "I was just bored, so I came to take a look around. Is that not allowed?"
"Looking around is probably all you can afford to do."
Huang Mengyao mocked, "After all, not just anyone can afford the bags here."
Over on the other side, Ning Qian, who had just finished picking out the clothes, noticed the situation, immediately put down what she was holding, and hurried over.
She'd seen this sort of thing plenty of times and was experienced. Arriving on the scene, she took one look and understood exactly what was happening.
She stood obediently by Xu Yun's side, deliberately glanced at Huang Mengyao, and asked sweetly, "Darling, is this beautiful lady a friend of yours?"
Huang Mengyao and Wang Qing were a bit surprised to see this demure, bird-like woman suddenly appear at Xu Yun's side.
'It's only been a few days. When did Xu Yun get such a beautiful woman by his side?'
Xu Yun shook his head. "Not really. Just a woman who owes me money."
"Oh."
Ning Qian reached out, took Xu Yun's arm, and said affectionately, "I've already picked out the clothes for your mother. Do you want to go take a look?"
Xu Yun hadn't expected Ning Qian to be so perceptive.
'She really knows how to play the game.'
Seeing how sensible she was, he felt he ought to reward her.
"No rush."
Xu Yun played along. "Qianqian, didn't you say you wanted a bag? I think the one they're holding is quite nice. I'll get it for you."
"Really?"
Ning Qian could also tell that Xu Yun was deliberately targeting this woman.
So, Ning Qian looked at the bag in the other woman's hands and said to the sales associate beside her, "That bag she's holding, can I buy it?"
"Technically, yes," the sales associate replied.
"We saw this bag first. What makes you think you can just have it?"
Huang Mengyao said to Ning Qian, "Miss, this man you're with has no money at all. He can't afford this bag. Don't let him fool you."
"Pfft!" Ning Qian couldn't help but laugh.
Huang Mengyao frowned. "What are you laughing at?"
"What you said was funny, so I laughed."
Ning Qian said proudly, "My man? As long as he wants to, there isn't a single bag in this store he can't afford."
"Darling, you're exaggerating. I definitely can't afford any bags over two million."
Xu Yun shot her a reproachful look. "I'm just a poor man. Don't go around bragging."
"Oh, I understand," Ning Qian replied obediently, as if she had done something wrong.
Everyone else: "..."
'Wait, you call someone who can't afford a two-million-yuan bag a poor man?'
Huang Mengyao scoffed, "It's been a few days, Xu Yun, and you've really learned how to put on an act! Two million? Can you even afford a bag that costs more than twenty thousand?"
"Miss, as for whether my darling can afford it or not, you're about to find out, aren't you?"
Ning Qian looked at Huang Mengyao as if she were an idiot.
'This is a man who casually spent hundreds of thousands on clothes for me, and you're saying he can't afford a bag over twenty thousand?'
'You know nothing of Mr. Xu's power!'
One bag had caught the eye of two different customers.
To avoid a dispute, the sales associate standing by asked, "Ms. Huang, may I ask if you are a member of our store?"
"I'm not a member."
Huang Mengyao replied, "Why?"
"Ms. Huang, it's like this..."
The sales associate wasn't a fool; he could tell who the big spender was and who the small fry was at a glance.
He casually took the handbag from Huang Mengyao's hands and said apologetically, "Our store has a members-first policy. If you were a member, you would have priority to purchase this bag.
Since you are not a member, then according to company policy, this bag must be offered first to Mr. Xu."
Huang Mengyao: "..."
"Oh, so you're not a member."
Seeing her chance, Ning Qian added fuel to the fire. "In that case, I'm afraid you'll just have to part with it and let me have it."
"How do you become a member at your store?"
Provoked by Ning Qian, Huang Mengyao said angrily, "I want to become one right now! I'm definitely buying this bag today."
'No matter how much face I lose, I can't lose it in front of my ex-boyfriend!'
The sales associate explained patiently, "Ms. Huang, anyone who makes a one-time purchase of over 200,000 yuan can become a member."
"Two hundred thousand..."
She wouldn't have that much even if you sold her.
Huang Mengyao's face flushed red, then went pale.
She pointed at Xu Yun and retorted, "Don't tell me he's made a one-time purchase of over 200,000?"
"Yes, Miss Huang."
Another sales associate replied, "The clothes this gentleman just selected are valued at over 200,000 yuan, which meets our store's membership requirements."
"Are you kidding me? You think I don't know him?"
Huang Mengyao said contemptuously, "There's no way he has that much money to pay for it."
"Is that so?"
Xu Yun smiled, turned to the sales associate, and said lightly, "Please wrap this up for me. I'll pay for everything together."
"Of course, Mr. Xu."
As Huang Mengyao watched in disbelief, the sales associate, holding the handbag, led Xu Yun and Ning Qian to the register.
Half a minute later, the card was swiped, the payment was successful. The total was 270,000 yuan.
The cashier respectfully handed the card back with both hands and said with a smile, "Mr. Xu, here is your membership card. Please keep it safe."
"Thank you."
[Faced with doubt from his ex-girlfriend, the Host chose to Do as You Please, using practical actions to slap her in the face. Reward: 400,000 yuan in cash.]
Current account balance: 1.38 million yuan.
Sweet!
After paying, Xu Yun didn't even spare Huang Mengyao a glance as he led the way out of the store.
Meanwhile, Ning Qian carried the large and small bags of clothes, shot a provocative glance at Huang Mengyao, and followed obediently behind him without complaint, a sight that was the envy of onlookers.
This scene left Huang Mengyao and Wang Qing utterly stunned.
At first, they thought Xu Yun had just gotten lucky and hooked up with a sugar mama.
But apparently, that wasn't the case.
Xu Yun was the one who swiped the card, and the woman was the one carrying the bags.
The power dynamic was clear at a glance!
The two of them could hardly believe their eyes.
'I was still haggling with my best friend over a few thousand yuan for a single bag, yet here he was, right in front of me, casually dropping 270,000 yuan on a shopping spree with another woman!'
'Since when was Xu Yun so rich?'
'Was this really the same man she had dated?'
Huang Mengyao suddenly remembered that a few days ago, when she'd come to buy a bag, she had also seen Xu Yun in the mall, dressed head-to-toe in designer brands.
Compared to Huang Mengyao's anger, the mind of her best friend, Wang Qing, was now buzzing with new ideas.
'I completely misjudged him!'
'I can't believe Xu Yun is actually this rich!'