Chapter 7: Purchased

The next morning, Jiang Meijia’s complexion was glowing, but as she looked at Lu Fei sleeping soundly in bed, anger rose within her. How had she been so complacent last night, letting this brat have his way so easily? Hmph! With a sudden kick to his waist, she vented her frustration.

“Ouch! What was that for?” Lu Fei woke with a start.

“Get up!”

“What’s the big deal? In this dump, can’t a guy even sleep in a little?”

“I said, get up!” Jiang Meijia yanked his arm, her face stern.

Lu Fei knew he wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep, so he dragged himself out of bed.

“If you dare pull this again, I’ll make you regret it,” she threatened fiercely.

Lu Fei shrugged, secretly thinking, “Would you really?”

But Jiang Meijia was only stern on the surface; few would suspect her true nature, and Lu Fei had no intention of exposing her. He got up to wash.

At that moment, a fashionable girl in a short skirt and black stockings walked in. She was about the same age as Jiang Meijia, her beauty just a shade less, but still a true stunner.

Upon seeing Jiang Meijia, the girl enthusiastically grabbed her arm. “Meijia, Jiusheng Mall has its grand opening today. Let’s check it out later!”

This was Xu Yunyao, Jiang Meijia’s best friend. She had rushed over early after hearing that Meijia had brought her boyfriend home. In their social circle, this was headline news—eternally single Jiang Meijia had found a boyfriend so quickly, and even brought him home. The speed of their progress had left all their friends in shock.

Hearing about shopping put Jiang Meijia in high spirits, and she agreed on the spot.

Then Xu Yunyao got straight to the point. “So, where’s your boyfriend?”

“He’s in the bathroom, freshening up,” Jiang Meijia replied, leading Xu Yunyao to Lu Fei to introduce them.

Xu Yunyao casually asked a few questions. Upon learning Lu Fei was from the countryside and didn’t have a decent job, she was speechless. She’d thought Jiang Meijia had finally found a real catch, but it turned out to be a country bumpkin. She was certain Jiang Meijia would regret this.

Soon after, Huang Yunmei called Xu Yunyao aside.

“Yunyao, I need a favor from you,” she began.

“Auntie, just tell me what you need.”

“I don’t approve of Meijia’s boyfriend. Help me make him see reality.”

Xu Yunyao instantly understood. “That’s easy. Leave it to me.”

As they were about to leave, Jiang Meijia hadn’t intended to bring Lu Fei along. But Xu Yunyao insisted, “How can two beauties go shopping without someone to help carry the bags?”

Jiang Meijia rolled her eyes at Lu Fei. “Him? He’s too rustic. Forget it!”

Lu Fei was speechless—was he not even qualified to carry bags? Still, recalling Jiang Meijia’s behavior last night, he decided to give her some face in front of others and held his tongue.

Xu Yunyao smiled sweetly, “Let’s bring him along. I plan to buy a lot. He can help me out.”

Only then did Jiang Meijia relent. “Fine. That’s about all he’s good for. Come on, you’re coming with us to the mall.”

Jiusheng Mall was a new high-end shopping center in Bianjing City, led by He Sheng Group under Yin Tiancheng, specializing in luxury brands. As the three entered, the sight of two striking beauties accompanied by an ordinary-looking man quickly drew attention.

Xu Yunyao basked in the admiring gazes, but soon noticed that another woman was stealing the spotlight—a tall, stunning beauty in a figure-hugging dress standing beside a red sports car.

This red sports car was the only one of its kind in Bianjing City, worth over a hundred million—a true king of cars. For Jiusheng Mall’s grand opening, the car had been brought out to attract crowds.

The beauty beside it was a renowned professional model, known as the Flower Queen of Bianjing. The mall was offering a special promotion: whoever bought the king of cars would have the Flower Queen accompany them for a week, to any destination in the world.

The news instantly stirred excitement among the men. But the real potential buyers watched from private suites upstairs, keeping a close eye on the car’s movements.

“Nothing to see here. Let’s go somewhere else,” Xu Yunyao said, unwilling to let another woman take center stage, and pulled Jiang Meijia and Lu Fei upstairs.

They entered a luxury fashion boutique.

“Jiajia, this coat is gorgeous,” Xu Yunyao said, caressing a long designer trench coat priced at eighty-eight thousand. She was utterly enchanted.

“It is beautiful,” Jiang Meijia agreed, tempted but not impulsive enough to buy it outright.

Xu Yunyao turned to Lu Fei. “Jiajia likes this coat. Aren’t you going to buy it for her?”

Lu Fei shook his head. “It’s a nice coat, but eighty-eight thousand is way too much. It isn’t worth it.”

Xu Yunyao laughed. “You really are thrifty! No wonder you’re such a good husband for Jiajia.”

Jiang Meijia’s face flushed with embarrassment. In their circle, price was never discussed—nothing was ever too expensive.

“How embarrassing. Since when is it your place to judge what’s expensive? If the store sets that price, it’s because it’s worth it. I’ll buy it myself,” Jiang Meijia scolded, pulling out her card and buying the coat.

Xu Yunyao could barely contain her delight. “Jiajia, where did you find such a penny-pinching boyfriend? Listening to him is hilarious!”

She thought to herself, now Lu Fei should realize they’re from two different worlds. A breakup is only a matter of time.

But Lu Fei stood by his opinion. “It’s not about being stingy. The coat just isn’t worth that much. At most, it’s worth a thousand.”

Xu Yunyao’s smile froze, not expecting Lu Fei to contradict her. Jiang Meijia was exasperated—Lu Fei was so stubborn. Why argue with Xu Yunyao?

“Enough, let’s go!” she said, leading the way out of the store.

Shortly after they left, the store manager arrived and immediately checked the surveillance footage. He quickly confirmed that the young man who had just shopped there was none other than the mentor of the mall’s chairman, Yin Tiancheng.

“So the mentor is keeping a low profile, dating those two girls as an ordinary man,” mused the manager.

Meanwhile, Lu Fei and Xu Yunyao had wandered into the jewelry section.

“Oh wow, this jadeite is also eighty-eight thousand. I bet someone will say it’s not worth it again, right?” Xu Yunyao teased, eager to drive her point home.

Lu Fei glanced at the jadeite. “Actually, that’s too low. The store’s made a mistake. I’ll buy it for eighty-eight thousand.”

With that, he promptly paid for the jadeite—using Jiang Meijia’s money, of course.