Soon, a sales assistant strode over aggressively.
Xin Jia'er was indignant, "How can I buy clothes without trying them on? How do I know if they fit?"
"These are Italian handmade haute couture pieces. If you can't afford them, don't touch them. Don't be so vain at your age!" the sales assistant said condescendingly, pointing them out.
She could tell by looking at the two young girls that they couldn't afford anything.
Su Ding was so amused she laughed, "How do you know we can't afford them?"
The sales assistant sized her up with disdain. "Every dress here starts at ten thousand yuan. You? Can you afford that?"
"Ha, are you trying to be funny?" Xin Jia'er retorted. "You say we can't afford them as soon as we walk in. Do you think you're Sun Wukong with your Fiery Golden Eyes? We can afford them, but with your attitude, we definitely won't buy them."
With that, Xin Jia'er grabbed Su Ding's hand, ready to leave.
The sales assistant didn't even bother moving. "If you can't afford it, just say so. Don't pretend you won't buy it. Hurry up and go, don't disturb our business."
Xin Jia'er suddenly stopped and pointed to the dress Su Ding had been holding. "Wrap this one up for me."
Su Ding was taken aback. "Jia'er, forget it, it's not worth it."
Xin Jia'er shook her head. "It's fine. We'll still buy it, just so no one says we can't afford it. But we're still going to complain."
Saying that, she took out her card. "Hurry and swipe it, so we don't miss our appointment to complain."
The sales assistant was surprised she produced a card and froze for a second, then snorted, "Just so you know, there's only one of each item in the store. Once sold, there are no returns or exchanges."
"Enough nonsense," Xin Jia'er said, her attitude just as bad.
Su Ding knew that with Xin Jia'er's status, dresses worth tens of thousands were nothing. It was just a shame to buy it out of spite.
"It's okay, Ding Ding. I'm giving it to you. Even with the baby, you should still look beautiful," Xin Jia'er patted her hand to comfort her.
As the sales assistant swiped the card, a "ding" sound suddenly rang out!
"Insufficient balance on this card."
The sales assistant swiped again, and the same prompt sounded.
A few newly arrived customers in the store looked over. The sales assistant wore a smug expression, her voice amplified, "I'm sorry, miss, your card has insufficient balance!"
Xin Jia'er's face turned red with anger. Suddenly, she remembered something and froze.
Xu Lang had used this card before. He had returned it to her, and she had casually put it in her bag. This card had a five-million yuan limit! Insufficient balance?!
The sales assistant, her voice laced with contempt, sneered, "Miss, do you have another card?"
The passersby couldn't help but whisper:
"Young people nowadays are so vain."
"Since she took out a card, she's probably being kept. She doesn't even know her card has been suspended."
"Exactly, are they worthy of their parents?"
...
"I didn't even know Xu Lang had maxed out my card..."
Xin Jia'er's face flushed and paled. Hearing those words made her clench her teeth in anger.
The sales assistant's arrogance was now undisguised.
Damn it!
All thanks to that utterly despicable scumbag!
Su Ding patted Xin Jia'er and took out the unlimited black card Jin Ye had given her. "Use this one."
Xin Jia'er still felt embarrassed.
She had just said she would treat Su Ding, and now Su Ding was paying.
Su Ding said softly, "It's okay. You can treat me next time."
Xin Jia'er nodded.
As the sales assistant swiped the card, she stared at the supreme VIP card that appeared on the computer screen, dumbfounded.
There were probably only a few such cards in the entire country, owned by people of great status.
What was that woman's true identity?
The sales assistant tremblingly handed over the card and the dress. "Miss, your card."
Her attitude had done a complete 180-degree turn.
Su Ding smiled faintly. She had seen plenty of people who fawned over the rich and looked down on the poor. She reached out and took them.
Xin Jia'er directly retorted, "Do you still think we can't afford it?"
Sweat beaded on the sales assistant's forehead. "I am truly sorry, miss. It was my fault. I shouldn't have said those things. I apologize..."
"Then let me ask you, when you buy clothes at a mall, do you not even touch them?" Xin Jia'er asked coldly.
"No, it was my fault..." The sales assistant bowed ninety degrees, a fawning, ingratiating smile on her face.
Only then did Xin Jia'er relent. "Respecting customers is a basic quality for a sales assistant. I hope you remember that."
Then, she linked arms with Su Ding and they walked out.
"Jia'er!"
A loud male voice called from behind. Xu Lang jogged over.
Xin Jia'er's smiling face immediately froze, and then turned cold. "How many times have I told you, don't follow me!"
"Jia'er, I truly know I was wrong. Please forgive me," Xu Lang reached out to grab Xin Jia'er's hand.
Su Ding quickly pulled Xin Jia'er back, dodging. "Xu Lang, you still have the nerve to beg for forgiveness after what you did? How dare you?"
Xu Lang's face turned sullen as he glared at Su Ding. "If it weren't for you, why would Jia'er get involved with someone like Xue Zhi Qiao!"
"Xu Lang!" Xin Jia'er interrupted him angrily.
"Jia'er, I don't care that you were with him. As long as you're willing to come back, I'll still accept you..."
"Enough!" Xin Jia'er shouted furiously and rushed forward. "Xu Lang, I have nothing to do with you anymore. Get lost! Get out!"
Xu Lang, however, grabbed Xin Jia'er's arm persistently, his face contorted with frantic anxiety.
"Impossible! Did Xue Zhi Qiao sleep with you that's why you changed your mind so quickly! Jia'er, don't believe him! He's a celebrity, he's seen hundreds of beautiful women, don't be naive!"
Su Ding listened with some confusion.
Xue Zhi Qiao and Xin Jia'er? Sleep? Involved?
Xin Jia'er didn't want to bring up that incident. She had guarded her chastity for over twenty years, and it was lost so carelessly. Yet Xu Lang's every word pierced her.
Her eyes welled up with tears. She trembled with anger, desperately trying to break free from his grip, in pain.
"Let her go!"
Su Ding's grip was strong. As her words fell, her hand seized Xu Lang's wrist, causing him to release Xin Jia'er in pain, groaning.
"Hiss... damn... let go!" Xu Lang's face was contorted, his demeanor utterly vulgar. His once handsome face was now a picture of ugliness.
Xin Jia'er's last shred of affection for him vanished.
She had truly been blind before!
Su Ding roughly shoved Xu Lang away and stared at him coldly. "Xu Lang, do you want to go inside?"
Xu Lang's dignity had been trampled underfoot during these past few days due to borrowing money. Now, being threatened by a woman, his pride swelled. He lunged forward, intending to push Su Ding.
Xin Jia'er immediately shielded her but was violently thrown aside, her knees scraping and turning red.
"Su Ding, damn you for meddling and gossiping!"
Xu Lang completely ignored Xin Jia'er and continued to advance on Su Ding. However, before he could reach her, four men in suits appeared out of nowhere and subdued him!
The leader even pinned Xu Lang's head down onto the mall floor!
"What the hell! Who are you guys!"
Xu Lang struggled fiercely but couldn't break free from the four burly men.
One of the men in suits turned, bowed respectfully to Su Ding, "Madam, we apologize for startling you. We will be faster next time."
Su Ding, helping the injured Xin Jia'er, looked somewhat bewildered. "Yes, Jin Ye sent you to protect me?"
"Yes, Madam," the man in suits replied respectfully, his hands held straight and flush against the seams of his suit trousers, an image of neatness and order.
After speaking, they took their man, carrying the gagged Xu Lang, and left.
A few steps outside, security guards rushed over. The man in suits spoke briefly to them. The security guards bowed quickly and cleared the way, even guiding them.
"Jia'er, are you alright?" Su Ding asked, looking at Xin Jia'er's scraped arm.
"It's fine, it's not bleeding," Xin Jia'er sighed, her expression somewhat dejected. "I was truly blind back then, to fall for someone like him."
Su Ding patted her shoulder. "Don't think about it anymore. It's in the past."
Suddenly, she asked again, "What was he talking about with you and Xue Zhi Qiao?"
Xin Jia'er's heart skipped a beat, her expression becoming slightly unnatural. "No, nothing. Last time Xue Zhi Qiao helped me, right? Xu Lang just assumed I was with him..."
"Oh, I see," Su Ding nodded understandingly. After a moment's thought, she added, "By the way, Xue Zhi Qiao is actually quite good. Why don't you consider him? He's more handsome than Xu Lang and wealthy, what do you think?"
"Ah. No, no, no!"
Xin Jia'er shook her head like a rattle drum, her face suddenly turning red. "Ding Ding, I don't want to consider anything like that right now. That's enough, let's not talk about it."
Su Ding chuckled and let it go.