Chapter 17: Shopping at the Department Store

The department store in the city was much grander than the one in their small county, with a total of four floors.

Jiang Ning wanted to see the latest fashions and buy a watch, but she hadn’t brought much money with her, so she had to be careful with her spending.

Clothing was on the second floor. She and Lu Dingquan walked around, looking at the latest trends, which included batwing shirts and wide-leg pants. They didn’t see anything they particularly wanted to buy.

They went up to the third floor, where a counter was selling cosmetics imported from Guangzhou, very fashionable.

She walked over quickly, drawn to a lipstick that wasn’t the common bright red, but a softer, more muted bean paste red.

Unfortunately, there was no testing allowed here. Jiang Ning wasn’t sure if the color would suit her, and the lipstick was quite expensive. If she bought it, she wouldn’t have any money left.

Hesitantly, she asked Lu Dingquan, “Do you think this color would look good on me?”

The saleswoman in the department store was usually indifferent, flipping through a newspaper.

But seeing the young couple in front of her, the man in his sharp and handsome military uniform, and the woman who was even more charming and eye-catching, her appearance no less than the models in calendars, she couldn’t help but raise her head and suggest, “It’s from Guangzhou, it’s good quality. There are only two of this color left. One was sold the day before yesterday, and there’s only one left. If you don’t buy it today, you might not get it next time.”

Jiang Ning was tempted and asked the price.

Saleswoman: “It’s written there, eighteen.”

The price of Guangzhou goods was indeed higher. Just this one lipstick was too expensive, and she didn’t have enough money.

She thought about it. She had a color-changing lipstick at home that she could use. She’d buy it later when she had more money.

She was about to leave and look elsewhere when the saleswoman, used to this kind of thing, didn’t say anything more.

After taking two steps, Lu Dingquan suddenly asked, “Don’t you like it?”

Jiang Ning was looking around, already checking out other things: “It’s okay, it’s too expensive. I’ll pass for now.”

She wasn’t someone who was easily swayed by things she liked. She wouldn’t necessarily buy something just because she liked it. There would be more opportunities to shop in the future, and she didn’t really feel like she was missing out by not buying it now.

Lu Dingquan, however, seemed to be silent for two seconds before he suddenly said, “I didn’t mean it that way last time.”

“Huh?” Jiang Ning turned back in confusion.

He didn’t look at her, his gaze fixed on the front, as he said in a low voice, “Last time, I made you wait an extra day, and I hitched a ride to the city. That wasn’t what I meant.”

Jiang Ning looked at him.

He finally turned his gaze towards her, his deep eyes seeming to hold a hint of gentleness beneath their usual calmness: “The roads haven’t been safe lately. It would be better if you came with me in my car.”

“It’s not about saving money. What’s yours is yours, use it if you want.”

Jiang Ning finally understood. He was explaining what he had said about saving her money last time.

Lu Dingquan wasn’t a stingy man, of course she knew that.

On the contrary, he was quite generous with his money and never said anything about her spending habits. Even if he occasionally teased her, she would just listen and let it go. But she knew in her heart that he was a generous and reliable man, after all, he was going to be a big shot in the future.

But he misunderstood her, thinking she didn’t buy the lipstick because she was trying to save money. He was suddenly explaining himself, which she hadn’t expected.

Lu Dingquan stood there, staring at her.

Jiang Ning felt his kindness, and she suddenly felt a little embarrassed, especially since they were in a department store.

She simply nodded and said, “I understand… But I left all my money at the hostel. I only brought ten yuan with me.”

Lu Dingquan quickly said, “I brought some.”

He turned back to the cosmetics counter, his expression unreadable, and asked the saleswoman to get the lipstick they had been looking at earlier.

The saleswoman saw the two of them turn around again and thought they had discussed it as a couple, after all, the item wasn’t cheap.

Jiang Ning also walked to the counter. Lu Dingquan had already paid, and the saleswoman reached into the display case, took out the lipstick, checked the color marked on it, and then placed it on the counter. As she wrote the invoice, she said, “This color is very fashionable, it’s guaranteed to look good.”

Jiang Ning smiled slightly, looked up at the man beside her, and said softly, “Thank you, I really like it.”

He seemed indifferent as he looked back at her, a hint of teasing in his eyes, as if he rarely saw her in this formal, thank-you mode.

Jiang Ning met his gaze, pursed her lips, and was about to jokingly ask if he was going to deduct it from her next month’s allowance, when she heard the sound of high heels clicking behind them, and a sweet voice suddenly rang out:

“Oh, there’s a new style? This lipstick color is so nice, Brother Meng, do you think it would suit me?”

A stylishly dressed young woman walked straight over, ignoring everyone else, and picked up the lipstick on the counter to examine it.

Before Jiang Ning could speak, the saleswoman had finished writing the invoice, stood up, and said casually, “This one is already sold. Look at the other ones.”

“Sold?” The young woman raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Then get me another one in the same style, I want this color.”

Saleswoman: “We don’t have this color anymore. It was the last one. Look at the others.”