Volume One, Chapter 13: Shopping at the Clothing Store

Gu Chenxiao gave a light hum, his tone tinged with teasing. "You sure know how to worry."

Old Zhang smiled sheepishly, his voice sincere. "I’m just happy to see Master Jiu has company now, so I’m happy for you!"

Gu Chenxiao’s heart fluttered slightly. He glanced out the window, seemingly lost in thought.

Then, he picked up his phone and dialed the mall manager.

"Manager Wang, my wife is going to the mall today. Please look after her."

Old Zhang, the driver, was left speechless.

Well, that was a failed assist!

Yan Chu entered the mall, drawing astonished glances from those around her.

"Who is that? Why is she dressed like that?"

"Why so plain?"

"The fabric probably doesn’t cost more than ten bucks, right?"

Yan Chu wore only a light gray linen dress, with nothing but a wooden hairpin in her hair.

Her appearance was starkly out of place among the women adorned in gold and silver, wearing jewelry and carrying designer bags.

Unbothered by others’ stares, Yan Chu stepped into a clothing store.

But not a single clerk paid her any attention.

She walked straight to a rack and began browsing through various garments.

“Hello,” she smiled politely at the nearest sales clerk. “Do you have this in a smaller size? I’d like to try it on.”

The clerk frowned. “Are you sure? Don’t come back saying you won’t buy it if I find it for you.”

“I haven’t tried it on yet; how would I know if I’ll buy it?”

Yan Chu understood the clerk’s hesitation.

It was simply because she dressed plainly and didn’t look like a typical customer.

She was too tired to deal with such snobbery and spoke frankly.

The clerk sneered, “I’ve seen plenty like you—can’t even pull out a thousand yuan, yet you come here to a high-end boutique. You probably just want to snap a photo after trying it on and post it on social media, right?”

Yan Chu maintained her polite smile. “If it fits, I will buy it.”

“What if you don’t?”

The clerk’s outburst drew the attention of several nearby customers.

Yan Chu hated being the center of attention and spoke with a hint of helplessness.

“Whether I buy it or not, finding the right size for me is your job, isn’t it?”

The clerk was momentarily speechless.

This girl was sharp-tongued indeed!

If she wasn’t careful, she might get a complaint.

A single customer complaint could cost her five hundred yuan.

“Fine, wait here. I’ll get someone else to help you,” the clerk waved her hand toward an intern who was carrying a box. “Xue, come here!”

“Coming!” Xue hurriedly set down the box, wiped sweat from her brow, and approached quickly.

“This is our intern. She’ll help you,” the clerk said with a disdainful glance at Yan Chu before turning away.

Xue approached Yan Chu somewhat awkwardly, her eyes showing sympathy and understanding.

Unlike the other staff, she didn’t judge by appearances.

“Hello, miss. What size are you looking for?” Xue asked gently and politely.

Yan Chu smiled kindly and pointed to the dress she had asked about earlier.

“I want to try this in a smaller size.”

Xue nodded and quickly moved through the racks.

Soon, she found the size Yan Chu needed.

Carefully, she handed the dress to Yan Chu and indicated the fitting room.

Yan Chu took the dress, thanked Xue, and went to try it on.

Inside the fitting room, Yan Chu changed into the new dress and examined herself in the mirror.

Though simple, the dress fit her particularly well, especially the purple lilac embroidery on the skirt, which she admired.

Stepping out, she saw Xue waiting nearby and smiled as she approached.

Xue’s eyes lit up with surprise at how good Yan Chu looked in the dress.

“You look really beautiful in this,” Xue said sincerely.

Yan Chu smiled. “Please wrap it up for me.”

Xue paused briefly, then her face blossomed into a smile.

She had been working here for three days, and previous customers had made things difficult for her as an intern. In three days, she hadn’t made a single sale.

But now...

She was about to make her first sale!

Xue happily took the dress and began packaging it.

Just then, the earlier sales clerk returned. Seeing Yan Chu had decided to buy, surprise flickered across her face.

“You’re really going to buy it?” The clerk’s tone was incredulous. “Little girl, this dress is a haute couture piece designed by Master Alice. It costs twelve thousand yuan.”

Yan Chu nodded quietly, not wanting to say more, simply waiting as Xue finished packing.

The clerk grew even more puzzled.

No matter how she looked at it, this girl didn’t seem like someone who could afford twelve thousand yuan.

She watched silently as Yan Chu pulled out a card from her pocket.

“Wait, this card is...” The clerk’s shock deepened. “That’s the black card—only two hundred exist worldwide. Holders are either incredibly wealthy or powerful. Who exactly are you?”

Yan Chu was somewhat surprised too.

When Gu Chenxiao gave her the card, she thought it was just an ordinary debit card.

She glanced calmly at the clerk. “I’m just an ordinary person.”

“No, you’re not!” The clerk regretted her earlier attitude deeply. She hadn’t expected to offend a noble.

“You must be a wealthy socialite, right?” The clerk bowed apologetically. “I’m terribly sorry for my earlier rudeness. You’re low-key in public—I was blind.”

“By the way, if you want anything else, I’ll serve you personally!”

“No need.” Yan Chu’s expression remained calm.

“Miss, we have not only women’s clothing but also menswear and middle-aged apparel. Would you like to pick out some for your parents?”

The clerk was eager to seize this opportunity.

Yan Chu considered that buying just one dress to bring back to the Gu family wouldn’t look good.

Might as well buy a few more and put them on Gu Chenxiao’s tab.

She had no money herself, so she had no choice but to spend Gu Chenxiao’s.

“Sure,” Yan Chu smiled brightly. “But...” she gestured toward Xue, “I want her to serve me from now on.”

Xue was overwhelmed with gratitude. “Thank you so much, miss! Whatever you want, I’ll get it for you right away!”

The annoyed clerk shot a glare at Xue. “Little upstart!”

As the clerk turned away, Xue stuck out her tongue at her retreating back, then began helping Yan Chu select several pieces suitable for Old Madam Gu.

At the same time, she picked out a few dresses as gifts for Gu Ruolin and Gu Ruoruo.

As for Gu Chenxiao...

They’d buy him a suit.

At checkout, Yan Chu presented the black card Gu Chenxiao had given her. The cashier greeted her politely, “Miss, please look up for facial recognition.”