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“Ming Zhao, get down.”
The voice, devoid of any warmth, was like a blade left in the freezer for too long. Ming Zhao felt like a child who had accidentally cut her hand on it.
All along, no matter what mistakes she made, Zhou Tingyun had never been this harsh towards her.
But now, she even felt like what he really wanted to say was—
“Get out.”
Ming Zhao, who was almost dozing off on the massage bed, suddenly snapped awake. She pursed her lips and rubbed her ears.
Spoiled, willful, unreasonable.
That’s how most people described her.
For the first time, Ming Zhao began to doubt herself, though the feeling only lasted for three seconds.
There was no way the Young Miss would truly reflect on herself. After all, she hadn’t changed one bit—it was Zhou Tingyun who had changed. Maybe he had found a more obedient and sensible family member, which was why he could no longer tolerate her.
“So, you’re saying you got mad, randomly dated some guy with bleached hair, and when your brother found out and told you to break up, you fought with him, and in a fit of anger, left the country?”
Lin Zhiwei, lying on the massage bed next to her, looked shocked but, considering it was Ming Zhao, she found it entirely reasonable.
After a grueling week at work, she was exhausted and had moved their usual Sunday spa day to Saturday, not expecting to hear such gossip.
Ming Zhao, unwilling to let her taste be insulted, raised her voice in protest. “Who said he had bleached hair?”
Lin Zhiwei couldn’t be bothered to argue. To someone with a brother complex like Zhou Tingyun, every guy in the world was just some random bleached-hair punk.
After a brief silence, Ming Zhao couldn’t help but speak again.
“Why do you think he insists on going to the Zhou family? Who’s even there?”
Lin Zhiwei was speechless. “Could you watch less TV dramas?”
Ming Zhao huffed and turned her head away.
In the treatment room, the scent of crystal incense filled the air, bringing a gentle sense of calm. Soft music flowed quietly through the space.
The essential oils were slowly massaged in, the pressure was just right.
Out of nowhere, a thought popped into Lin Zhiwei’s mind.
“Maybe… you know about taboo relationships, right?”
“Of course,” Ming Zhao yawned, lazily tapping her chin with her eyes half-closed.
Lin Zhiwei raised an eyebrow in surprise. “You actually know?”
“Aire told me about it.”
Aire, one of her classmates abroad, had once listened to her tearfully rant about Zhou Tingyun at a party. After listening thoughtfully, Aire eagerly shared a story about taboo relationships in Germany.
Ming Zhao had yelled at her, “Are you crazy, Aire? Don’t you dare insult my brother like that!”
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhiwei’s lips twitched slightly. She realized she had been overthinking it.
After the spa session was over, Ming Zhao was about to drag Lin Zhiwei to go shopping when a familiar female voice suddenly came from behind.
“Didn’t I tell you this place works wonders? After your styling session tomorrow, you’ll absolutely steal the show!”
Isn’t that Shang Man, the second daughter of Heng Tai Bank? Ming Zhao perked her ears up quietly.
“Thank you so much, Manman,” replied another voice, somewhat unfamiliar, then shyly added, “Saying I’ll steal the show is a bit much. Miss Ming is far more beautiful than I am.”
Shang Man scoffed dismissively. “What’s the point of being prettier than you? She doesn’t even dare to show up.”
Zhou Siyu : “…”
She gave an awkward laugh but said nothing.
For some inexplicable reason, Shang Man became more and more irritated as she spoke. “So what if she’s pretty? Her taste is terrible—she actually dated someone like Gu He, that gold-digging loser.”
Ming Zhao:”???”
Who doesn’t dare? Who exactly is she saying doesn’t dare? Who has bad taste? Who’s hiding?!
Ming Zhao was about to turn around and confront them, but Lin Zhiwei held her down tightly.
“Are you stupid?” Lin Zhiwei whispered harshly.
“Let them think you’re not coming—then surprise them tomorrow.”
Ming Zhao pouted in frustration and pinched Lin Zhiwei’s waist. “Why do you have to call me stupid just to make your point?”
“Because you are stupid!”
“Who’s the dumb one? Facing problems head-on is what makes a real woman, unlike you, full of bad ideas!”
Lin Zhiwei grabbed her wrist and started pulling her out. “Stop wasting time.”
“…Can you be a little more civilized?” Ming Zhao stumbled slightly as she was dragged along.
“Fine, I’ll meet your request, but only because you bought me a bag.”
Ming Zhao refused to admit it and stubbornly said, “I just bought too many and left one at your place.”
“Alright, alright, you bought too many. Thank nature for its generosity,” Lin Zhiwei nodded dismissively and continued to drag the “real woman” out.
Inside the VLC room, rows of fitting models walked by.
Most of Ming Zhao’s clothes were custom-made and delivered to her, but she preferred having someone accompany her while shopping. As a result, she had a string of purchases from the luxury stores in the capital.
“You just came back, so you might not know, but the person who was with Shang Man earlier is Zhou Siyu,” Lin Zhiwei said, sipping her tea to wash away the sweetness from the dessert.
“Tomorrow’s event seems like Zhou Lao’s birthday banquet, but it’s actually mostly about finding a marriage prospect for her.”
“Ah,” Ming Zhao rested her chin in her hand, feeling troubled as she heard this. “But I’m so beautiful, wouldn’t I steal the spotlight if I went?”
Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes in public, she added, “It’s also to find a suitable marriage prospect for your brother.”
Another arranged marriage?
Her fingers faltered slightly, and her brows unconsciously furrowed.
Ah, no wonder they told her not to go.
Feeling a bit displeased, Ming Zhao’s beautiful face instinctively took on an icy expression.
Having already been invited to the 2024/25 Autumn/Winter Haute Couture Show abroad, Ming Zhao was felt bored and casually picked out a few outfits she had liked previously.
Fiona, standing beside her, sensed the shift in mood. She couldn’t understand why the young lady had suddenly become upset. Once Ming Zhao had chosen her clothes, Fiona quickly brought out a few bags that had been specially set aside for her—new colorways of the diamond-studded crocodile Birkin.
The beautiful misty blue color brought a smile back to Ming Zhao’s face.
Fiona, whose tension had slightly eased, relaxed for a moment.
But the next second, she suddenly heard a notification from the manager through her earpiece.
“Fiona, the diamond-studded T0 colorway has already been taken, you…”
Taken? What does he mean by “taken”?
For a moment, Fiona’s head was buzzing, and she could no longer hear the manager’s voice clearly through the earpiece.
The bag had already been pre-ordered, and such phrasing typically meant that a more esteemed customer had jumped the line.
How was she supposed to explain this to Ming Zhao now?
Fiona bit her lower lip, hurriedly stepping aside. She lowered her voice and urgently said, “Manager Chen, Miss Ming, she—”
But the call was immediately cut off.
Sweat trickled down her back as she panicked, unsure of what to do.
“Fiona?”
Ming Zhao tilted her head in confusion. “What’s wrong?”
Fiona’s expression stiffened slightly.
This kind of dismissive response could be given to anyone, but it was something that couldn’t be said to Ming Zhao.
But with no other option, Fiona steeled herself and stepped forward, forcing a smile.
“I’m truly sorry, Miss Ming. The bag you’re holding has already been pre-ordered. It was my personal mistake, and I sincerely apologize.”
The air fell silent for a moment.
Lin Zhiwei was the first to react, momentarily stunned, before she couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
She teasingly added, enjoying the spectacle, “Young Miss, it seems your reputation isn’t as strong as it once was, if someone actually dared to snatch something from you.”
Everyone knew that “already pre-ordered” was just an excuse—when the gods fought, it was the mortals who suffered. The staffs in the store all lowered their heads, their faces filled with awkwardness.
Ming Zhao’s anger flared inside, but she, of course, wouldn’t take it out on Fiona. She just smiled sweetly and said, “Tell your manager to come over.”
Fiona quickly nodded in response.
Soon, the manager appeared, his expression displeased as he hurried over.
Not understanding how Fiona could mess up such a small matter, he was about to scold her, but the moment his eyes landed on Ming Zhao lazily lounging on the sofa, his heart tightened.
He was new to the position, having been transferred from another location by headquarters earlier this year, and initially hadn’t taken the “Miss Ming” Fiona spoke of seriously.
But salespeople were sharp, and they knew how to judge people by appearances.
First, it was the clothes.
The bright yet sophisticated colors required financial backing, with the finest fabric, top-notch tailoring, and expert design behind them. Ordinary people could never pull off such a look.
Moreover, her presence was utterly captivating. Her striking beauty was no longer the main focus; it was the natural air of arrogance and aristocratic elegance radiated from the corners of her eyes and brows, effortlessly exuding nobility.
Manager Chen’s heart raced in his chest.
Seeing him arrive, Ming Zhao’s expression softened into a playful smile, her eyes curving. “You say, pre-ordered?”
“I truly apologize, this…”
“Manager Chen,” Ming Zhao interrupted him directly, her indifferent gaze falling on his name tag, “Isn’t that, right?”
She smiled, her tone sweet but her voice cool. “Could you tell me, then, who pre-ordered this?”
Her cold voice carried a hint of frustration, and Manager Chen’s face stiffened, caught between a rock and a hard place.
Naturally, no one had actually pre-ordered the bag.
The problem, however, was that it had been spotted by Miss Zhou from another section of the VLC room.
Neither side could be offended, but offending the Zhou family was something he simply couldn’t afford.
At this moment, his mind was in turmoil, and he could only think of a gentler way to make the young lady back off.
So, he said, “It was pre-ordered by Young Master Zhou from the Zhou family, as a gift for Miss Zhou.”
…
Manager Chen’s reasoning was simple—when status and seniority could be similar, he could always play the card of a higher-ranking family.
Unbeknownst to him, Lin Zhiwei, nearby, was almost dying of laughter, while Ming Zhao’s face had already turned a deep shade of displeasure.