Chapter 269: Chapter 269: Seizing
The ladies and wives Xu Ke met at the banquet often invited Lin Mengyao to go shopping or attend gatherings together.
"Where are you off to this afternoon?" Xu Ke asked, looking at the exquisitely dressed Lin Mengyao with a gentle tone.
"Going shopping over at Golden Port City. My feet have been aching so much lately," Lin Mengyao said, rubbing her sore calf.
"If it’s painful, just skip it. You can go shopping any time; there’s no need to squeeze it in today." Xu Ke stood up from his seat, walked over to Lin Mengyao, and placed her legs on his lap, gently massaging them.
Lin Mengyao gradually showed an expression of enjoyment, her voice lazily hoarse as she said, "You don’t understand the joy of shopping for girls. I quite like shopping with Miss Bai, as she always finds some rare and quirky items, which are particularly interesting." Lin Mengyao half-opened her eyes and looked at Xu Ke.
"Alright, but don’t wear high heels today. Put on some flats; your feet will feel more comfortable," Xu Ke said, looking at the ten-centimeter high heels on the floor.
"No way, high heels look the best! They perfectly showcase a woman’s most beautiful posture and visually elongate the leg proportions, so don’t even think about making me change them." Lin Mengyao said firmly.
"Fine, you always have ten counterarguments ready for every word I say. I won’t argue with you anymore since I can’t win. I’ll accompany you today, carry your bags, and take you home." Xu Ke said softly, looking at Lin Mengyao with indulgent helplessness.
Lin Mengyao’s ears turned a little red, and with a proud hum, she focused on enjoying Xu Ke’s service.
In the afternoon, at Golden Port City.
When Xu Ke and Lin Mengyao arrived, Miss Bai hadn’t shown up yet. However, she called to tell them she had something come up and would be half an hour late.
"No worries, take your time; I’m waiting for you here," Lin Mengyao said to Miss Bai.
"I’m really sorry. I didn’t expect this to happen; I was just about to head out. You go ahead and shop, and I’ll treat you to a meal when I arrive," Miss Bai’s gentle voice came through the phone.
"Okay." Lin Mengyao agreed, and after chatting for a bit more, they hung up.
"All sorted? Then let’s go shopping; I saw a store on my way here with clothes that I think would suit you. Let’s go have a look, and there are sofas inside where you can rest for a while," Xu Ke suggested.
"Sure." Lin Mengyao nodded, curious to see what kind of clothes Xu Ke thought suited her.
Xu Ke always had a clear shopping target. He led Lin Mengyao into the store where he’d spotted the clothes, had the staff help Lin Mengyao sit on a sofa to rest, and directly headed to the clothes he liked, asking the staff to take them down.
"This gentleman has a very good eye; this dress is a new style for our spring-summer collection. The peacock blue color complements your complexion, and the high-waist design can make your waist appear slimmer, also elongating your overall proportion, making you look even more slender," the staff said with a smile, presenting the dress to Lin Mengyao.
Looking at the dress in the staff’s hands, Lin Mengyao’s eyes showed a bit of experience.
"I’ll try it on." A hint of a smile appeared on Lin Mengyao’s face, and she looked at Xu Ke expectantly.
"Go ahead, I’ll wait for you outside," Xu Ke said with a smile, patting Lin Mengyao on the back.
Seeing that they were ready, the staff perceptively stepped forward and said to Lin Mengyao, "Please follow me to the fitting room."
The silhouettes of the two women disappeared from Xu Ke’s view, and about three minutes later, Lin Mengyao emerged from the fitting room.
Just as the staff had said, the peacock blue color set off Lin Mengyao’s skin to glow like jade, reflecting a captivating gloss under the lights. The high-waisted design outlined her slender waist, making her overall appearance even more slender and elongated. The feather design at the waist-to-hip transition point added a touch of ethereal elegance to the dress, making Lin Mengyao look like a fairy from the heavens, but the kind of cool and beautiful fairy.
Seeing the admiration and fascination in Xu Ke’s eyes made Lin Mengyao even happier. She even twirled around in front of Xu Ke.
"Does it look good?" Lin Mengyao asked, like a child awaiting praise, her big eyes sparkling.
"It looks great, wrap this dress up for me..."
"Wrap this dress up for me," a coquettish girl interrupted just as Xu Ke was about to pay, making both Xu Ke and Lin Mengyao simultaneously frown.
"Sorry, Miss, but this dress was chosen first by this couple, so we can’t sell it to you. You could look at our other dresses," the staff courteously apologized, but the young girl who had just entered wasn’t appeased.
She clung to the arm of a man old enough to be her father, haughtily saying, "No, I don’t want other dresses, I just want the one she’s wearing. I think the one on her looks good."
"Darling, you must buy me that dress. As long as you buy it for me, you can do whatever you want tonight," she said, pointing at Lin Mengyao’s dress and flirting with the unattractive, overweight man.
"You said it, don’t go back on your word." The man, enticed by her words, momentarily looked at Lin Mengyao with a lustful gaze before focusing all his attention on the girl, a hopeful look spreading across his face.
The girl’s expression showed hesitance, but seeing Lin Mengyao’s stunning appearance in the dress and her handsome companion looking at her with tender eyes, she bit her pale lips and declared, "I won’t go back on it."
She was envious, envious of everything Lin Mengyao possessed, even though they didn’t know each other at all.
"Why are you all standing here? Didn’t you hear what my sweetheart said? We want this dress, wrap it up now," the man impatiently waved his hand.
Xu Ke and Lin Mengyao frowned even more deeply, feeling these two were incredibly rude.
"Sorry, sir, but this dress was selected by this couple first," the staff said, showing a slightly awkward smile.
"Have they bought it? Can they afford it? Look at how they’re dressed, acting like something they’re not, none of their clothes or shoes are from a big brand. Then look at me, is there anything I’m wearing that’s not a big brand? Who do you think has the capability to buy this dress between us?" The man proudly puffed out his chest, showing off his expensive attire to the staff.
Staff in luxury stores are trained to be sharp-eyed; although the man’s attire was all branded, they didn’t dare underestimate Xu Ke. They couldn’t recognize the brand of Xu Ke’s clothing, but judging by the material and design, it was likely not cheap. Besides, some wealthy people prefer custom-made clothes. With this in mind, the staff retracted their gaze from Xu Ke.
In Shangjing, you can’t casually underestimate anyone; the cleaning lady at the door might just have two relatives working in government.