From a distance, they appear to be from two different worlds, both in terms of their clothing and demeanor. They seem to be only a step apart, yet there is an invisible, insurmountable chasm between them.

Xu Jingyan gently shook the bag in her hand and took out a small, exquisite box. The gold foil pattern on the box shimmered with tiny sparkles in the light.

"Ali, Sister Jingyan took a liking to this necklace on her way here. She thought it would suit you perfectly, so she bought it right away. Here, let me put it on for you and see if you like it."

As she spoke, she reached out to put the necklace around Qiu Li's neck.

"Miss Xu! What are you doing? You don't need to buy such expensive things for a child." Seeing Xu Jingyan about to put it on Qiu Li, Qiu Mang quickly stopped her.

Xu Jingyan smiled knowingly and said softly, "Girls should be raised with plenty of resources. Besides, I always give a gift when I make friends, so don't refuse, Qiu Mang!"

Qiu Mang sighed. Oh well, she didn't understand the world of the rich. If she was willing to give, then so be it!

Xu Jingyan skillfully put the necklace on Qiu Li. The tiny gemstones on the necklace sparkled in the sunlight, making Qiu Li's little face even more adorable.

"Let's go inside and have a look around!"

As Xu Jingyan spoke, she led the two of them into a luxuriously decorated store.

Xu Jingyan seemed to have suddenly thought of something funny, and she raised her hand to cover her mouth, laughing softly. "Yan Ting knows that I like the clothes in this store, so he often brings me here to shop. Later, he felt sorry for me and was afraid that I would get tired, so he directly instructed the shop assistants that whenever there are new products, they don't need to wait for me to come to the store, but can deliver the clothes directly to my home and put it on his bill."

It's Lu Yanting again! Qiu Mang couldn't help but grumble to herself. She felt that every time Xu Jingyan talked to her, she would inevitably bring up Lu Yanting in every three sentences, as if she couldn't speak without him.

However, Qiu Mang still managed a polite smile and replied in a flat tone, "Is that so? Miss Xu is truly blessed."

As soon as I stepped into the store, a well-dressed saleswoman quickly came up to me, her eyes full of flattery.

"Ms. Xu, a batch of new works by top designers from Country F has just arrived. Would you like to take a look at one? These are all limited editions, there are only a few in the world, and they could be a perfect match for your outstanding temperament."

Xu Jingyan raised her chin slightly, nodded gently, and said with a touch of demureness, "Let me take a look."

Before long, the shop assistant came out with a garment that was well-made, made of excellent fabric, and had a very stylish design.

She was wearing a pair of white gloves, which she carefully showed to Xu Jingyan.

Xu Jingyan's eyes darted around, and she turned to Qiu Mang, raising an eyebrow. "Qiu Mang, I think you have a pretty good eye for fashion. Can you take a look at this dress for me? Can you see the designer's creativity?"

"I?"

Qiu Mang's heart skipped a beat. Normally, she would never have the opportunity to shop in such high-end stores. At most, she would just browse Taobao to buy clothes.

Xu Jingyan's actions are like asking someone who eats only steamed buns and pickles to judge the taste of sea cucumber and abalone—it's really asking too much of them.

However, it's not impossible!

A few days ago, she finally found a job as a sales clerk at a luxury goods store. Although the store hasn't officially opened yet, she has been working hard these past few days to make herself appear mature, capable, and professional at work, and has been cramming on a lot of fashion knowledge.

Thinking of this, Qiu Mang calmed down, and a confident smile appeared on his lips.

"This dress has quite a pedigree. It just made a stunning debut on the runway at Paris Fashion Week a few days ago. It's the latest masterpiece by the renowned designer Jam. It's said that this designer specifically studied the body characteristics and aesthetic preferences of Eastern women and tailored it specifically for us Eastern women. I didn't expect to see the actual product here so soon. Upon closer inspection, the style and color of this dress truly complement Ms. Xu's elegant temperament."

Xu Jingyan never expected that Qiu Mang could give such a professional and insightful evaluation. She stared at Qiu Mang with wide eyes, her mouth slightly agape, and for a moment, she was speechless.

She had intended to show off her superiority and aesthetic sense in front of Qiu Mang, but she was taken aback by Qiu Mang's words.

"Ms. Xu, would you like to try it on?" Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit awkward, the sales assistant smiled and asked again.

Xu Jingyan then came to her senses and hurriedly replied, "Oh, yes...yes!"

After saying that, she hurriedly walked into the fitting room, guided by the shop assistant.

Qiu Mang and Qiu Li stood outside waiting, looking around listlessly, trying to find something new to pass the time from the dazzling array of shop displays.

Qiu Li's eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had discovered some treasure. Pointing to a necklace not far away, she excitedly exclaimed to Qiu Mang, "Sister! Look, this necklace is exactly the same as the one I'm wearing!"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Mang moved closer and took a closer look; it was indeed true.

Her gaze then swept to the price tag below the necklace: 20,000.

Seeing the price, Qiu Mang felt a sense of relief. Thankfully, while the price wasn't low, it was still within an acceptable range. After all, it would be ridiculously expensive if every single piece of jewelry in the store were outrageously priced.

This necklace was a gift from Xu Jingyan to Qiu Li. If it's too expensive, then every time Qiu Li faces Xu Jingyan, she'll feel like she inexplicably owes her money.

"What are you doing? Are you stealing something?"

Just then, a sharp, cold shout came from behind.

Qiu Mang's back stiffened, and she quickly turned around. She saw a woman in a shop assistant uniform striding toward them with a frosty expression.

“We’re looking at this necklace,” Qiu Mang said.

The woman ignored her completely, her eyes fixed on the identical necklace around Qiu Li's neck, and reached out to pull it off.

Qiu Mang reacted quickly, stepping aside to block Qiu Li. Her brows furrowed slightly, and her tone carried a hint of accusation: "What are you trying to do?"

"What are you doing?" the woman raised her voice, her face full of contempt and anger.

"Hmph, you still have the nerve to ask me? You stole things from the store, so of course I'm going to take them back!" With that, she reached out and tried to push Qiu Mang away.

Qiu Mang reacted quickly, immediately grabbing the woman's wrist, looking at her firmly, and trying to keep his voice calm.

"If you have something to say, let's talk calmly. Don't just accuse someone of stealing right off the bat. I've already explained it to you. We were just looking at the goods. What, you run a shop and have your merchandise right here? Can't you even take a look?"