Chapter 267

“You two go ahead and look around.”

Xie Shiqing, however, hooked her arm around them. “Auntie, don’t leave. Since you’re already here, I was going to buy clothes anyway—might as well get a couple of outfits for you too.”

It would have been fine if she hadn’t said it, but the moment she did, both of their expressions changed drastically. “No, no, that won’t do, it’s too expensive.”

Zhong Ning also reached out and pulled them back. “Oh, it’s not expensive.”

She was immediately shot a glare by Zhong Mom.

Not expensive? What wasn’t expensive? Did she think she had never been online? Luxury brands—one piece of clothing could cost over a hundred or two hundred thousand. And the other party hadn’t even said anything yet, but she had already jumped in, talking nonstop, acting like it wasn’t someone else’s money—saying it wasn’t expensive.

If they weren’t in public, Zhong Mom really would have twisted her unlucky daughter’s ear on the spot.

Zhong Ning got a few glares for no reason and was a bit confused.

In the end, neither of them managed to leave. Xie Shiqing held onto Zhong Mom with one arm, while Zhong Ning held onto Zhong Mother. Even if they wanted to go, they couldn’t. Each of them held a cup of milk tea, and just like that, they leisurely went shopping in a luxury store.

Xie Shiqing immediately picked out a side-slit cheongsam and calmly went into the fitting room to change.

Zhong Ning also browsed naturally in front of the racks, occasionally pulling out a piece to examine. “This one feels like it would suit Shiqing too, right? And this one—this blue is really beautiful, like water, shimmering… and this pink one…”

The corner of her lips curved up, and for some reason, she thought of when Xie Shiqing had deliberately acted cute before. “This one’s not bad either, cute.”

The butler followed not too close behind them, careful not to disturb the atmosphere of their conversation.

Zhong Mom, mindful of the sales assistant nearby, looked at her daughter who was enthusiastically picking out clothes, her face full of things she wanted to say but held back.

Both of them were honest and decent people—warm and generous, yet simple. Otherwise, Zhong Ning wouldn’t have grown up with such upright values. They doted on her, but they didn’t spoil her.

So they absolutely disapproved of, and would never do, something like attaching themselves to the wealthy. Seeing Zhong Ning like this, for a moment, they even felt as if their daughter had gone astray.

But to others, their expressions carried a completely different meaning.

A young woman dressed exquisitely, with softly curled hair, passed by, leaving behind a faint fragrance—and a sneer.

She didn’t say anything, but her gaze swept up and down over them. She called over another sales assistant, lifted her chin slightly, and said, “Since when did RHIC lower its standards? What kind of people are they letting in now?”

Zhong Ning: …

I’m not the same as before. I’m now Niohuru·Zhong Ning—do you think I can’t understand such low-level sarcasm?

Zhong Mom and Zhong Mother’s expressions darkened a bit. But as shop owners themselves, they had seen all kinds of people. On the surface, they maintained composure and didn’t lose face, though what they felt inside was another matter.

Zhong Ning was unhappy, and it showed on her face. She hung the light beige dress she had just been looking at back on the rack and spoke bluntly, “Are you making a veiled insult, mocking me?”

The young woman looked over in slight surprise, as if she hadn’t expected her to have the nerve to talk back.

The staff were just about to say something, but she raised a hand to stop them.

“I’m talking about you. Seems like you do have some self-awareness. If you know you’re just a clown, then stop thinking about coming out to embarrass yourself. Good clothes get dirty just from being touched by you—how is anyone else supposed to wear them?”

She crossed her arms over her chest, lifting her chin even higher than a sunflower, practically looking at people down her nose. Her high heels struck the floor with loud, sharp clicks.

Zhong Ning suddenly burst out laughing.

She really should have been angry—after all, the disdain and contempt on that person’s face were far too obvious.

But it had been a long time since Zhong Ning had encountered someone like this. Being confronted with one so suddenly gave her an inexplicable sense of déjà vu, like running into cannon fodder.

It wasn’t entirely her fault either. Mainly because last night she had inexplicably scrolled through a few short videos about “The Dragon King Arrives,” and it instantly made her think of those kinds of plotlines.

It would have been fine if she hadn’t laughed—but the moment she did, the girl became furious.

Fuming with rage, she snapped, “You still dare to laugh? How shameless. Look at what you’re wearing, and you’re even holding milk tea—how cheap.”

She pinched her nose as if she smelled some nonexistent stench, fanning the air in front of her with her hand.

“Where’s the manager? Hurry up and throw her out! Standing with people like this is just polluting the air!”

Zhong Ning: amusing.

The butler wanted to step forward to defuse the situation, but Zhong Ning stopped him with a look and guided the two elders to the side. She straightened her expression and put on an unruly, defiant demeanor. “Do you even know who I am? The owner of this store invited me here—how could they possibly kick me out!”

The young woman laughed as well. “Ha? Invited you? Looking like that? Who would invite you? Do you even know how much this dress costs? Even if you sold your house and car, you couldn’t afford even a fraction of it. Invited you? Stop daydreaming!”

The corners of Zhong Ning’s mouth twitched a few times. She could hardly hold back her laughter and only managed to keep it in through sheer willpower.

“Dare to make a bet?”

The young woman let out a snort. “A bet? Sure. If no one invited you, then you’ll kneel down and roll your way out of here!”

“And if you lose?”

The girl let out a cold laugh, as if she had just heard a joke, her brows raised high. “Me, lose? What a joke.”

Zhong Ning suppressed her laughter. “You’re not planning to go back on your word, are you?”

Even such a simple provocation worked on her. She immediately showed an insulted expression. “If I lose, I’ll apologize to you in front of everyone!”

Zhong Ning nodded. “Alright. Shiqing, you came out just in time—come over and let me throw my weight around for a bit.”

Xie Shiqing had just stepped out of the fitting room when she heard her lover’s inexplicable words. A hint of helpless amusement appeared on her face, her eyes seeming to sparkle with starlight. “That’s not how you use that phrase. What’s going on?”

She walked over, passing the haughty young woman. Her gaze swept over her without a trace, then when she looked at Zhong Ning, she smiled gently. “And who might this be?”

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