Chapter 154: Shopping at the Mall

The two of them had a very ordinary meal. Because Qin Lulu threw a tantrum and claimed she had no money left, they simply found a random roadside diner.

However, Jiang Xiaotian did not mind at all, and Qin Lulu cared even less. "Let me tell you," she said, "I was so ignorant in the past. Thinking I had a high salary, as soon as I had money, I would run off to places like Michelin-starred restaurants or private clubs to eat. The food tasted awful, it never filled you up, and it cost a bloody fortune. These home-style stir-fries are so much more delicious!"

Jiang Xiaotian nodded in agreement. He liked them too, and without standing on ceremony, he began ordering dishes.

Seeing that he wasn't angry, Qin Lulu breathed a sigh of relief.

The funds she could actually access were indeed running low; otherwise, she would have loved to treat Jiang Xiaotian to a proper meal...

Especially when she recalled those two pieces of jewelry, a lingering ache still clutched at her heart.

Once they were well-fed and satisfied, she dragged Jiang Xiaotian out to go shopping. While this fellow had already bought his clothes, she hadn't bought her outfit for the Lunar New Year yet. How could a young woman go without new clothes for the new year?

This time, Jiang Xiaotian took charge and led her to a newly opened shopping mall.

The moment she saw their destination, Qin Lulu panicked slightly. "Brother Xiaotian, isn't this New World? Things in New World are extremely expensive, and they're all major luxury brands..."

Jiang Xiaotian couldn't help laughing at her adorable expression. Without explaining, he simply said that there were more clothes and a wider selection there, and one's New Year outfit definitely had to look good.

Qin Lulu wanted to say something, but swallowed her words and ultimately braced herself to keep quiet, though her heart was fluttering anxiously.

Just by its name, anyone could tell that New World was a newly emerged shopping mall focusing primarily on luxury goods. Ever since it opened, it had been pursued by numerous wealthy individuals because most of the brands stationed inside were super famous. Consequently, many youngsters went there not to buy anything, but just to take pictures to show off on social media.

Even Qin Lulu, who lived out of town, had heard of it, which showed just how famous it was.

Jiang Xiaotian knew about it as well. He had been notified by Brother Long, who had invested money in it and was considered a major shareholder. Brother Long had obtained a shopping card loaded with several hundred thousand yuan, though of course, it could only be spent within this mall.

However, since Brother Long wasn't much for shopping and saw that Jiang Xiaotian had quite a few young female companions around him, he had simply handed the card over to him.

Jiang Xiaotian never turned down gifts, but he had never found the time to go shopping until now, when it unexpectedly came in handy.

Because he had always been poor before, the background information Zhang Guodong had on him also stated that he was an orphan who had relied on odd jobs to make a living since childhood.

Therefore, Qin Lulu had no idea that Jiang Xiaotian was currently wealthy. She only knew about the few million yuan in prize money, but assumed he couldn't just throw it around carelessly.

When they arrived at the mall entrance, they finally understood what grandeur truly meant.

The land it occupied was the size of a public park, and it was packed with crowds of people—men and women of all descriptions. What was more, Northern Sea's largest bar was located here, drawing an endless stream of visitors every day.

One had to admit that Brother Long's business acumen was truly exceptional. He was probably making a fortune by now; both Platinum Club and New World were absolute hits!

Qin Lulu's eyes widened in sheer astonishment as well. The two of them looked just like country bumpkins entering the city for the first time.

At first, she hadn't understood why so many people rushed over just to take photos and check in, but now she understood. Calling this a tourist attraction in Northern Sea would hardly be an exaggeration. There was a musical fountain in the plaza, and in the densely packed areas, quite a few street musicians were performing.

Having recently gone through countless battles and teetered on the brink of life and death, Jiang Xiaotian only felt that he was truly alive upon seeing this bustling city. This was the vibrant scene life was supposed to have.

"Let's go, let's look around!" Jiang Xiaotian nudged Qin Lulu.

The latter had long since forgotten the fact that she didn't have enough money. She immediately linked her arm through Jiang Xiaotian's and acted like a devoted young wife. "Let's charge, Brother Xiaotian!"

The mall was exceptionally large. Even from the plaza to the entrance, there were numerous specially designed landscape installations, making Qin Lulu, as a girl, endlessly happy as she constantly asked Jiang Xiaotian to take pictures for her.

She naturally possessed a well-proportioned figure and delicate facial features, and having put on makeup today, she was extremely photogenic. Almost any snapshot turned out gorgeous.

Linger's beauty was like a lotus rising untainted from the mud, giving people the impression that she could only be admired from afar and not profaned, whereas Qin Lulu resembled the girl next door—approachable and friendly.

Looking at her, Jiang Xiaotian was reminded of Ouyang Ziqian. He had promised to accompany that girl shopping as well, but she was currently swamped with work and had no time, so they could only reschedule for after the New Year.

Soon, quite a few people began to notice Qin Lulu. As she posed for photos, crowds gathered around, and even a few young men stepped forward to strike up a conversation.

Unfortunately, she wasn't good at interacting with strangers. The moment someone spoke to her, she would blush with shyness and hide behind Jiang Xiaotian.

Yet this very demeanor only made her more endearing to the young men, filling the looks they cast at Jiang Xiaotian with a mixture of envy, jealousy, and hatred.

Still, Qin Lulu was thoroughly satisfied with her photos and even took a few selfies with Jiang Xiaotian before happily heading inside the mall.

The interior decoration was exceptionally bright, featuring crystal chandeliers. It seemed the mall's contractor was truly wealthy.

The moment they stepped inside, they were greeted by an overwhelming aura of wealth. Practically all the men and women within sight were wearing designer brands and sported generic internet-celebrity faces.

In comparison, Jiang Xiaotian and Qin Lulu appeared quite shabby.

Setting aside the fact that Qin Lulu was remarkably pretty, Jiang Xiaotian was dressed in an ordinary shirt, looking no different from a low-level laborer. Inside this place, he stood out glaringly.

However, he didn't care about such things, and Qin Lulu had even less concept of it, having already decided she definitely couldn't afford anything in here.

To avoid embarrassment, she deliberately bypassed the famous, major brands and tried her best to pick out obscure, unpopulated shops.

Yet, guessing from the fact that the two of them didn't look wealthy, the sales assistants nearby gave them the cold shoulder and couldn't be bothered to entertain them.

Those assistants had seen plenty of such young couples who mistakenly thought shops with fewer customers and remote locations were minor brands. But in reality? The reason there weren't many people inside was because those who could afford the major brands might not necessarily be able to afford these private designer pieces—this was the true definition of expensive.

Most people would just walk in for a quick look, ask for the price, and then slip away under some pretext.

Clearly, this private designer boutique struck Qin Lulu's fancy. The various little dresses and slip tops inside were things she loved to death. She wanted to try them on, but was too embarrassed to ask, so she just held them up in front of the mirror, measuring them against herself and unable to put them down.

"If you like them, just buy them," Jiang Xiaotian reminded her.

Qin Lulu pouted, then held up a piece to show Jiang Xiaotian. "What do you think? Does it suit me?"

How could it not look good? She was naturally tall with straight, long legs, making her a walking clothes rack—she looked good in anything.

"Cute, I want to fuck you," Jiang Xiaotian muttered offhandedly.

"Huh?" Qin Lulu didn't catch it clearly.

"Uh... I mean it looks great! Buy it!" Jiang Xiaotian hurriedly corrected himself.

However, at that very moment, a sharp voice suddenly rang out from the entrance.

"Oh, my god! What a coincidence! Isn't this Lulu?!"

The two of them turned around simultaneously to see two gaudily dressed women walking over, loaded down with shopping bags, each followed by a man.

Qin Lulu's expression froze instantly.

"Are these your classmates?" Jiang Xiaotian asked with curiosity. Running into acquaintances here was indeed quite a coincidence, and it was only polite to greet them.

Yet Qin Lulu hesitated slightly, then leaned closer to Jiang Xiaotian, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "Brother Xiaotian, they're my college classmates. I didn't get along very well with them..."

Qin Lulu had possessed that kind of personality since childhood, finding it hard to get along with unfamiliar people, let alone interact with men.

But because she was pretty—a big-eyed, cute girl—she had never lacked suitors throughout high school and college, especially after entering university.

No matter how many times she rejected them, there were still people who liked her, which caused many girls to resent her, branding her a green tea bitch or a pretentious lily.

Neither martial artists nor martial medical practitioners were allowed to reveal their identities to the outside world, so others had no way of knowing about her family background.

Moreover, Qin Lulu's own temperament was gentle and somewhat lazy; even when she was bullied, she couldn't be bothered to seek revenge.

The women in front of her were precisely the ones who had bullied her back then, which was why Qin Lulu's complexion looked extremely unsightly.

The shopping bags in their hands were all world-famous luxury brands of substantial value, and the boyfriends trailing behind them clearly looked like wealthy men at a glance.

Compared to them, Jiang Xiaotian looked no different from a beggar.

The wavy-haired woman walking at the very front was named Zhang Meng. She was the one who detested Qin Lulu the most. As a classmate, she knew very well how many boys liked Qin Lulu; even the boy she had a secret crush on had chased after this creature!

Now that she ran into her here, how could she let go of such an opportunity?

Besides, the boy Qin Lulu brought with him looked like an utter bumpkin; the two of them definitely couldn't afford anything in this place!

"Lulu, long time no see! Are you here shopping? This private designer shop is quite nice, you know. I had my eye on something here earlier too, but I didn't bring enough cash, hahaha." Zhang Meng spoke as if mocking herself, but anyone listening could tell that while the items here were expensive, she could afford them.

"Oh, by the way, I like that dress in your phone picture too. I remember it was on sale a while ago, and it was only thirty-six thousand yuan!"

Qin Lulu instantly gasped aloud!