Chapter 83: Encounter (Part 1)
It is rare to have a sunny day in Haicheng in early winter.
In the afternoon, Yu Ling took Su Xiao's arm and walked in the "light luxury area" on the third floor with a somewhat shaky step.
Here, brands like Maje, Sandro, and Theory, which are expensive for ordinary people but considered "entry-level" by true celebrities, gather. Under the bright spotlights, the models are wearing the latest season's new styles with bright colors and sharp cuts.
"Lingling, look at this!" Su Xiao pointed excitedly at an off-white wool coat, "What a great style! It will look great with your caramel scarf!" She pulled Yu Ling into the store.
Yu Ling was a little absent-minded. Her neck felt empty. The priceless "Rose Heart" pink diamond had been carefully stored in her safe at home.
The coldness of the text message that Zhao Chen sent in his study last night, the three dazzling hearts on Gu Qianqian's face, and the words "See you tomorrow" were like heavy lead blocks pressing on her heart.
The countdown to the agreement reached Day 5, and every step felt like treading on thin ice. She had agreed to accompany Su Xiao out today, not so much to go shopping, but to use the crowds to dispel the uneasiness in her heart.
She picked up the coat Su Xiao had recommended; it felt truly soft and delicate. She glanced at the tag, and the five-digit price tag made her fingertips pause. Although the credit limit on the supplementary card Zhao Chen had given her was incredibly high, and even though she had a newly "given" company under her name, her inherent caution and frugality, typical of Yu Ling, made her hesitant to spend on such a non-essential item.
"If you like it, just give it a try!" Su Xiao saw her hesitation and urged, "Your husband earns so much money, isn't it for you to spend? Look at what you're wearing now..."
Her eyes swept over the simple basic ZARA dress that Yu Ling was wearing. Although it was tailored to fit her body, it did seem a bit out of place in such a place.
Yu Ling forced a smile: "Let's take another look, let's take another look."
Just as she was about to hang her coat back on the hanger—
An extremely aggressive fragrance, a mixture of cold white flowers and expensive leather, was like an invisible barrier, instantly separating the original air in the store.
The light in the store seemed to freeze for a moment.
The professional smiles on the salesgirls' faces instantly turned into one of incomparable respect, even a hint of nervousness, as they all bowed towards the door: "Miss Gu!"
Yu Ling and Su Xiao subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound.
At the store entrance, a figure walked in gracefully, like a catwalk supermodel under the spotlight, wearing pointed, ten-centimeter Christian Louboutin red-soled high heels.
Gu Qianqian.
She was wearing the latest Chanel tweed suit of the season, a creamy white with delicate black piping, and a perfectly cinched waist that outlined her slender waist. Her long, slightly curly chestnut hair was meticulously styled and draped over her shoulders.
Her makeup was impeccably refined, with full red lips and slightly raised eyeliner, radiating a natural air of superiority and carefree arrogance. Around her neck, an intricately designed antique necklace studded with countless tiny diamonds gleamed under the spotlight. It was the same necklace she'd flaunted on Instagram as a "coming-of-age gift"—"Brother Chen gave it to me, it matches my collarbone."
She seemed oblivious to the salesperson's respectful manner. Her gaze, like a precise radar, instantly locked onto Yu Ling and Su Xiao in the store. Her red lips curled up in an ambiguous, scrutinizing arc.
"Oh, what a coincidence." Gu Qianqian's voice was sweet with a hint of lazyness, like an ice cone wrapped in honey, clearly penetrating the quiet shop.
She walked gracefully and walked straight to Yu Ling. Gu Qianqian had rushed back after learning that Zhao Chen was married, so Yu Ling was naturally the focus of her understanding.
The sound of high heels hitting the ground is crisp and oppressive.
She stopped a step away from Yu Ling. Her gaze was unabashedly critical and evaluative, like scanning a cheap commodity. She scrutinized Yu Ling from head to toe, from her smooth yet hollow neck to the ordinary ZARA dress she wore to the unidentifiable brand of ankle boots on her feet.
That gaze was cold and sharp, carrying undisguised contempt and a hint of playful mockery, as if admiring a fake that had strayed into a treasure house.
Finally, her gaze fell on the off-white coat in Yu Ling's hand, and she glanced at the price tag next to it. The smile on her red lips deepened, carrying a kind of condescending pity.
She extended her delicate hand, adorned with a wide Cartier nail bracelet, and with her delicately nail-coated index finger, she touched the shoulder of Yu Ling's Zara dress in a frivolous and insulting manner. The gesture was elegant, yet filled with disdain.
"Brother Chen now..." Gu Qianqian tilted her head slightly, her chestnut hair falling over her shoulders. Her eyes held undisguised confusion and a hint of studied innocence. Her voice, drawn out in a long voice, reached everyone's ears clearly, "...are you liking this 'affordable' style?"
The three words "affordable area" were bitten by her with exceptional clarity, like poisonous thorns.
boom--!
A surge of hot blood suddenly rushed to Lidya Su's head! She exploded instantly!
"What did you say?!" Su Xiao, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, suddenly pulled Yu Ling behind him and glared at Gu Qianqian, his voice rising with anger. "Watch your mouth! What do you mean by affordable area?! Who do you think you are?!"
The air in the store instantly dropped to freezing point! The sales assistants were so frightened that they dared not breathe and lowered their heads.
Gu Qianqian was scolded by Su Xiao, but the elegant mask on her face remained unchanged. She didn't even bother to look at Su Xiao. Her eyes were still fixed on Yu Ling's face, as if Su Xiao was just an insignificant, noisy fly.
"Me?" She chuckled softly, with a natural arrogance, slightly raised her delicate chin, and the antique necklace around her neck reflected a cold light. "I'm just a little curious."
Her eyes swept over Yu Ling's empty neck again, her red lips curled up in a meaningful arc, and her tone was sweet and boastful like memories:
"After all, on my eighteenth birthday, Brother Chen specially bought this 'Rose Morning Dew' from Sotheby's as a gift for me..."
She extended her fingertips and gracefully stroked the dazzling antique necklace around her neck, her eyes hazy, as if lost in beautiful memories. "He said that such pure pink diamonds and pigeon blood red are worthy of my collarbone and won't be... wasted."
She paused, her eyes fixed on Yu Ling's smooth yet empty neck with naked provocation, "Now it seems that Brother Chen's taste has changed a lot?"
The word "waste" was like two red-hot knives, stabbing into Yu Ling's heart! Huge humiliation and icy pain instantly swept over her! Every word and every look of Gu Qianqian was nakedly declaring: You, Yu Ling, are unworthy! You are unworthy of Zhao Chen's wealth, unworthy of Zhao Chen's favor, and even more unworthy of standing by his side!
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