After leaving the hot pot restaurant, Xu Shengxia went straight to the city's largest shopping mall.
She looked down on small shops and boutiques, so after entering the mall, she headed straight for the luxury stores.
Predictably, given her current clothes and appearance, her ability to afford anything was once again called into question.
"Miss, this is the Dior counter. Our prices start at ten thousand yuan... Are you comfortable with prices like that?"
The Dior sales associate wore a professional smile as she gently reminded her.
At the sound of her voice, Xu Shengxia glanced over.
This woman also clearly thought she was poor and couldn't pay.
But this sales associate was far more pleasant than the one at the hot pot restaurant.
Compared to the snobbery and disdain of the last one, this young lady's words felt more like a well-intentioned reminder and a polite inquiry.
Xu Shengxia wasn't an unreasonable person. As long as someone treated her with courtesy, she would return the favor.
So, instead of getting angry as she had before, she simply told the associate in a calm voice:
"The prices are fine. Don't worry, I can afford it."
With that said, she went back to looking at the clothes.
The sales associate's eyes flickered; she didn't quite believe Xu Shengxia's words.
However, since the customer had given her that answer, she maintained her professionalism and continued to assist her.
She stayed by Xu Shengxia's side, treating her like any other customer.
She described the clothes and bags that caught Xu Shengxia's attention. When Xu Shengxia chose some items and wanted to try them on, the sales associate didn't refuse. She found the right sizes, led her to a fitting room, and offered honest advice when she came out.
Xu Shengxia was very pleased with the sales associate's service.
In her past life, if she had met a salesperson who made her feel this comfortable, she would have definitely bought a few extra items just to boost their commission.
But now, with only 380,000 yuan in her savings, Xu Shengxia ended up buying just a casual outfit, a dress, a pair of casual shoes, and a chain-strap bag.
It wasn't a huge amount—the total came to just over 320,000 yuan.
Even so, the look in the sales associate's eyes had already changed completely.
Her smile and attitude became far more enthusiastic and sincere than before.
"Miss, here's your receipt. Please keep it somewhere safe. And here are your purchases—please take the bags."
After personally handling the entire transaction, the sales associate bowed at a ninety-degree angle and presented the items to her.
Xu Shengxia took them and returned the smile.
"Thank you. Your service was excellent. I'll be back again."
Hearing this, the sales associate's smile grew even wider, and her tone toward Xu Shengxia became warmer.
"Of course! Thank you for your kind words. But... I have a small suggestion, though I'm not sure if it's my place to say."
Xu Shengxia said, "Go ahead."
The sales associate said, "I'd suggest you change into the new clothes you just bought. Your current outfit is nice, but I think the new one would better reflect your status."
A girl who could drop over 300,000 yuan on clothes wearing something from a street stall... it was certainly a strange contrast.
Besides, this was a high-end mall, and many salespeople judged customers by their clothes.
The sales associate genuinely wanted her to change into her new designer clothes to spare her any unfair treatment.
That was exactly what Xu Shengxia had in mind, so she nodded in agreement and went back into the Dior fitting room.
The sales associate waited patiently for her outside the fitting room.
When she came out, the associate even stepped forward to personally adjust a few details on the new outfit.
Once changed, Xu Shengxia tossed her old clothes into the trash. The sales associate then suggested they add each other on WeChat. Xu Shengxia agreed without a second thought, pulling up her QR code for the woman to scan before she finally took her bags and left.
After leaving the Dior boutique, Xu Shengxia's shopping experience improved dramatically.
Even though she wasn't a head-turner, now that she was wearing a brand like Dior, no salesperson was foolish enough to give her a hard time.
So, Xu Shengxia also bought a skincare set for over 10,000 yuan, a mid-range women's watch, and the most expensive Huawei phone, leaving the shopping mall in high spirits.
By now, it was seven o'clock in the evening, and she had spent most of her money.
She had less than 20,000 yuan left in total.
Not wanting to return to her shabby rental apartment, Xu Shengxia went to the most luxurious hotel in the city. The presidential suite cost 6,888 yuan a night, and she paid for two nights upfront.
After paying, Xu Shengxia was left with just over 5,000 yuan.