Lin Yang and Hu Qian were happily picking out clothes in the suit shop, their laughter echoing through the cozy store.
Suddenly, his gaze swept over two people who walked in through the door, and one of them was his ex-girlfriend, Li Xiaojia.
In an instant, Lin Yang's brows furrowed, and a barely noticeable hint of displeasure flashed across his face.
He never expected to encounter this once annoying person again on what seemed like an ordinary afternoon.
Li Xiaojia's appearance was like an untimely cold breeze, blowing into the originally warm atmosphere.
Lin Yang secretly became wary, recalling the days when she used to pester him, and that feeling of annoyance once again surged into his heart.
He subconsciously thought:
"She wouldn't have found out I'm rich now and wants to pester me again, would she?"
This worry was not unfounded; after all, Li Xiaojia's excessive pursuit of material possessions in the past made Lin Yang well aware of her character.
Hu Qian keenly noticed Lin Yang's unusual behavior and followed his gaze, only to see two unfamiliar women walking into the store.
She asked curiously:
"Lin Yang, do you know them?"
Lin Yang quickly denied:
"No, I don't."
At this moment, he only wanted to draw a clear line with Li Xiaojia and did not want that unpleasant past experience to affect his current life.
To alleviate the sudden awkwardness, Hu Qian joked, half-seriously:
"This suit really suits you; I was so captivated just now, didn't you notice!"
Lin Yang was grateful for Hu Qian's rescue and, following her lead, refocused his attention on picking out clothes, deciding to buy the suit that Hu Qian praised so much.
He said to the salesperson:
"I'll take this one. Can you also recommend some shirts, ties, and leather shoes to match this suit?"
The salesperson beamed with joy and enthusiastically led them to the lounge area to wait, soon bringing coffee and desserts.
"Please rest for a moment, I'll go get the matching items for you now."
In the lounge area, Lin Yang and Hu Qian leisurely enjoyed coffee and desserts while waiting for the salesperson to bring the matching clothes.
Meanwhile, Li Xiaojia and her best friend were ignored; the store staff were busy attending to Lin Yang and Hu Qian, as if Li Xiaojia and her friend were invisible.
Li Xiaojia's best friend, seeing this, was full of dissatisfaction and couldn't help but complain:
"Why? Why does he get such treatment, and we two come in and don't even have anyone to greet us!"
Li Xiaojia whispered in her best friend's ear:
"Don't be like that, we're not here to buy anything."
...
Lin Yang and Hu Qian leisurely enjoyed coffee and desserts while chatting casually.
They talked about recent promising stocks and market trends, discovering that they had many similar interests, and their conversation grew, with laughter constantly echoing in the lounge area.
This unspoken understanding and relaxed communication brought them even closer, as if everything around them had become even more beautiful.
Except for Li Xiaojia and her best friend, who were still standing not far away, looking a bit out of place.
After a while, after they finished their coffee, the salesperson appeared at Lin Yang and Hu Qian's side with the perfectly selected shirts, ties, and leather shoes.
It was as if she had already picked out the items and was waiting nearby, only coming over after they had finished eating and drinking.
"Sir, what do you think of these items I've matched for you?"
The salesperson introduced them enthusiastically, a smile radiating on her face.
Lin Yang took the shirt, tie, and leather shoes, trying each one on.
The shirt's fabric was soft and comfortable, fitting his body as if it were custom-made for him.
The leather shoes were simple and elegant, making him look even taller and more handsome when he put them on.
However, when he picked up the tie, he found himself at a loss.
He fumbled with it for a long time, but the tie just wouldn't form a beautiful knot in his hands.
Lin Yang's brows furrowed slightly, a hint of embarrassment appearing on his face, and his movements became a bit clumsy.
Hu Qian watched Lin Yang's predicament and couldn't help but laugh.
Her laughter was clear and melodious, echoing like silver bells in the lounge area, breaking the somewhat tense atmosphere.
"Alright, let me help you with it."
Hu Qian said, standing up and walking over to Lin Yang.
Lin Yang was slightly startled, then nodded, handing the tie in his hand to Hu Qian.
He had never dressed so formally before; he truly didn't know how to tie a tie.
Hu Qian's fingers deftly moved through the tie.
Lin Yang slightly lowered his head to make it easier for Hu Qian to work.
Hu Qian's focused expression was captivating, making one's gaze involuntarily fall upon her face.
At this moment, Hu Qian's face was flushed with a faint blush, her long eyelashes fluttering gently like two small fans with her movements.
Her lips were slightly pursed, forming a beautiful curve that made one want to kiss them.
Lin Yang's heart beat faster and faster; he could even hear his own heartbeat thumping in his ears.
In this ambiguous atmosphere, their breaths intertwined, forming an intimate rhythm.
Hu Qian inadvertently looked up, meeting Lin Yang's eyes again.
This time, there was an indescribable emotion in their gazes.
Hu Qian's hand trembled slightly, almost failing to tie the knot.
"I'm sorry."
Hu Qian apologized and started the same action again.
Finally, she tied the tie into a perfect knot.
She looked up, satisfied with her masterpiece, and smiled at Lin Yang, saying:
"It's done."
Lin Yang looked at Hu Qian, his eyes full of gratitude and admiration:
"Thank you, you tied it so beautifully."
"You're welcome."
Li Xiaojia and her best friend watched this scene, and the flames of jealousy burned even more intensely in their hearts.
But their presence seemed completely ignored, unable to break the dreamlike ambiguity between Lin Yang and Hu Qian.
Lin Yang walked to the mirror, looking at himself in the mirror, completely different from before.
His originally handsome face looked even more dashing with this outfit.
"Hu Qian, thank you so much today."
"You're welcome, I'm happy to help you, and I should thank you for accompanying me shopping for my mother's birthday present."
Lin Yang was very satisfied with the items the salesperson had matched and nodded, saying:
"Please package all of these."
"Certainly, sir."
Lin Yang returned to the fitting room, changed back into his original clothes, and handed all the clothes and shoes he had just tried on to the salesperson.
"Three belts, one suit, one pair of leather shoes, two shirts, a total of 218,000 yuan, and we'll also give you two pairs of socks worth 688 yuan.
How would you like to pay, WeChat or Alipay?"
Lin Yang unhesitatingly opened his WeChat payment code and handed it over.
The salesperson scanned the payment code with the machine, and with a "beep," the payment was successful.
As soon as Li Xiaojia and her best friend saw Lin Yang scan the code and pay in one smooth motion, their faces instantly turned extremely ugly.
"What's going on? How could a pauper like him have so much money to buy clothes?"
Li Xiaojia's gaze followed Lin Yang's figure closely, her heart filled with waves of doubt, crashing against her inner being.
She couldn't understand how Lin Yang, who used to meticulously budget to save a few yuan, could now be so lavish and generous.
Six months ago, Lin Yang's life was very difficult.
To use a full-reduction coupon, he would repeatedly add and delete items in his shopping cart, racking his brains to meet the minimum spending, just to save a few yuan.
When buying clothes at the market, he would always wander among the various stalls, carefully comparing prices and quality, and only then would he choose the most cost-effective item.
His clothing was always simple and plain, with old-fashioned styles and colors, clearly worn for a long time.
But now, he bought hundreds of thousands of yuan worth of clothes without batting an eye, exuding confidence and composure in every gesture, as if he had become a different person.
Her best friend stood beside Li Xiaojia, her face full of shock, her mouth slightly agape, looking disbelieving.
She had been certain that Lin Yang was just putting on a show, wanting to flaunt in front of them, and was waiting to see him embarrass himself when it came time to pay, but reality had slapped her hard in the face.
She never expected that this poor boy, whom they used to look down upon, could now so easily pull out over two hundred thousand yuan to buy clothes.
Her best friend tugged at Li Xiaojia:
"He must have encountered some opportunity or started some business to become rich overnight.
Xiaojia, why don't you get back together with him? As his girlfriend, you can have any bag you want."