Zhao Ashuang couldn't stop her, so she had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk inside with her.

This was the first time in a long time that he had seen a different kind of brilliance in Huo Jiayuan's eyes.

The little princess's eyes lit up as soon as she entered the door.

While it may not be as upscale as Central City, it's still a hub for top international brands, offering a dazzling array of luxury goods. Another unique feature is its location on the border, serving as a transportation hub for several border provinces. This means that many of the items displayed here are limited editions, yet the prices are about one-third cheaper than in Central City.

Huo Jiayuan felt like she was in paradise, as happy as a bird that had flown out of its cage.

Zhao Ashuang followed behind her, and the arrogant sales assistants looked at them as if they were two poor wretches, making him feel extremely uncomfortable. However, Huo Jiayuan seemed to be enjoying herself and completely ignored other people's gazes.

"Yuan Yuan..." Zhao Ashuang whispered, "It's almost time, shall we go?"

"Leaving already?" Huo Jiayuan was taken aback. "But we haven't been here long!"

Zhao Ashuang smiled bitterly: "Even a single cotton pad here costs more than I dare to touch!"

Huo Jiayuan pouted.

But these brands were all too familiar to her.

"I promised to buy you some good skincare products." She looked at him. "Although that Xue Ni is annoying, she was right about one thing... You really can't use cheap cosmetics anymore."

"I'm a substandard person, so why can't I be used?"

"You're talking nonsense!" Huo Jiayuan glared at him. "You're a good person, you deserve good things!"

Zhao Ashuang's heart skipped a beat, her lips moved, and her eyes reddened slightly.

"Why belittle yourself?" Huo Jiayuan patted his shoulder. "My grandma always told me that anyone in this world can step on you, but you can't! Even if you're trampled into the mud, you still have to bloom from the mud!"

"Your grandma is so kind," Zhao Ashuang said enviously. "I don't have family like that, saying things like that to me. Yuan Yuan, your family must be well-off, right? You're not from Biandu, so where are you from?"

Huo Jiayuan paused for a moment, then didn't respond.

She always remembered Meng Yan's advice: in this place, telling the truth was a major taboo. Never let anyone know your hand, and never completely trust anyone.

"My home... is just so-so." Huo Jiayuan forced a smile and immediately changed the subject, "Hey, Shuang, this brand of skincare products is really good!"

Before Zhao Ashuang could react, she was pulled into a luxuriously decorated boutique. This store was larger than the others, like a dazzling pearl in the entire mall, radiating light so brightly it was almost blinding.

The prominent "double C" logo exudes an air of luxury.

Huo Jiayuan has been using this brand since middle school, but she has never come to the mall to choose it herself. Instead, every time a new product is released, the chief product designer personally visits her to try it out.

"This one, this one, and this one!" Huo Jiayuan pointed to several samples on the counter and asked the shop assistant to get her some new ones.

“Yuan Yuan…” Zhao Ashuang whispered, “It’s too expensive here.”

"It doesn't matter!"

Do you have money?

Huo Jiayuan rolled her eyes. She had no money, but Meng Yan did!

Didn't I give her a card a few days ago?

"Don't worry about buying!" she smiled. "Today's expenses are all on me!"

After saying that, she went to pay, naturally taking out the card Meng Yan had given her. However, at the very moment she was about to swipe the card, her hand stopped.

A voice inside her seemed to be telling her: This is wrong, it's someone else's money.

She also remembered what Zhao Ashuang had told her: Meng Yan was on the verge of death every day in the underground boxing ring; one wrong move or technique could mean instant death. But the spectators at the underground boxing gyms were all crazy gamblers; they didn't care about the fighters' lives, they just wanted to gamble on the thrill.

Huo Jiayuan's hands trembled slightly.

At home, she had seen the blood-stained bandages that Meng Yan had changed, and she had also seen the calluses on his hands.

Every penny he earned was hard-earned, but she…

Huo Jiayuan thought about it and then took the card back.

"What's wrong?" Zhao Ashuang asked in a low voice.

“Um… I’m sorry.” Huo Jiayuan turned to look at him. “I suddenly realized that this is money Meng Yan worked hard to earn. Even if he gave me the card, I can’t just spend it without restraint. Besides, it’s a bit unfair of me to use his money to buy you things and then play the good guy in the middle…”

"Ah Shuang," she said sincerely, "could we buy the skincare products later? If I had the money, I..."

"Of course, no problem!" Zhao Ashuang laughed heartily. "You silly girl, why are you worrying about this? Even if you had the money, we wouldn't buy it here! I think this is just a scam, designed to cheat those naive and rich rich girls..."

"Forehead……"

Huo Jiayuan forced a smile.

However, at that moment, the saleswoman's shrill voice rang out: "Ladies, do you still want to buy it or not?"

"No, thank you." Zhao Ashuang waved her hand. "Let's go look somewhere else."

"Ha, you made me find everything, but now you're not buying it... If you don't have money, don't come here! Stop pretending..."

The saleswoman muttered something under her breath, but her "muttering" was quite loud, every word clear and distinct, reaching Huo Jiayuan's ears.

"What did you say?"

Huo Jiayuan turned her head abruptly, "Is this how you treat your customers?"

The saleswoman was arrogant and gave a cold snort.

"Since you're in this position, helping customers find products is your job! As for whether or not to buy, that's the consumer's right. What right do you have to tell them what to do?"

"Oh, I can't even talk to myself for a bit? You consumers have the right to buy or not buy, but I, as a salesperson, don't have the right to speak?"

"You have the right to speak, but your words must be befit your status!"

"Young lady, what's my identity?" The saleswoman glanced at her sideways, arms crossed. "Ha, you're quite young, but you're rather amusing!"

"Then, I'll give you a free lesson! If you don't have money, don't pretend. This kind of place isn't for people like you to just come here casually, understand?"

Huo Jiayuan took a deep breath.

She is a lifetime VIP customer of this brand, and there are probably only a handful of lifetime VIPs in the world.

When she was in Yangcheng, even the regional manager of this brand had to treat her with utmost respect, addressing her as "Miss Yuan".

She steadied herself, looked at the arrogant saleswoman, and a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips. "I'll give you a few numbers; you can check them on your computer and see if I can 'just do whatever I want'!"

The saleswoman frowned, clearly not understanding.

Just as Huo Jiayuan was about to give out the VIP user's exclusive number, a deep and powerful voice suddenly came from behind him: "Who said my wife can't come here?"