Lin Yan paused, his gaze sweeping back towards the store. "Is that so?"
He then looked back at the store with renewed interest. "It seems she's been discharged from the hospital rather quickly. Interesting."
"Let's go in and take a look," Lin Yan said, his curiosity piqued.
"But... Young Master, there seem to be more of them than us," Li Wei cautioned.
"Don't worry, he wouldn't dare now," Lin Yan replied confidently.
Seeing the person who had caught his attention, Lin Yan quickened his pace, walking ahead of Su Moxin towards where they had parked. He bent down and helped Su Moxin into the large G-wagon.
"Be careful," Su Moxin said softly, adjusting the collar of Lin Yan's shirt, which had been pulled askew by her arm. She smoothed out the wrinkles with a gentle touch, her gaze fixed on him.
"Don't worry, I just ran into an old friend. I'll go take a look. You wait here for me, alright?" Lin Yan ruffled Su Moxin's hair affectionately. He glanced down at her knees, ensuring she was alright, then closed the car door. Leaving two bodyguards behind, he walked towards the Hermes boutique where he had seen the commotion.
Inside the store, Liu Jiali, dressed in a sales associate's uniform, lay on the ground. Her lips were swollen and bleeding. Two other sales associates, as terrified as she was, stood by, afraid to help her up. The store manager, a man who was bowing continuously before a young couple, was repeatedly apologizing.
"Bosses, I am so sorry, so sorry! This is truly our fault. How about... how about I give you a twenty percent discount? No... thirty percent."
"Twenty percent? Do I look like I'm short of money? Don't even think about it. You must fire this person. This bag has been worn by her. What's the difference between me using it and it being second-hand? There's no room for negotiation. She must be fired."
The manager's offer clearly did not satisfy the woman. She began to shout, demanding Liu Jiali's dismissal.
It was peak sales hour, a weekend nonetheless, yet the Hermes boutique was completely devoid of customers. Instead, over a dozen bodyguards in black suits stood guard, having evidently cleared out any other patrons.
"Shaoting, this bag has been touched by that cheap girl. No one wants second-hand items. Let's go look at something else," the woman said, leaning against the man beside her and wrapping her arm around his with a flirtatious air, a stark contrast to her earlier demeanor.
The woman was beautiful, appearing to be in her early twenties, with a hint of youthful innocence. She wore a pink dress with a low neckline, revealing a tantalizing expanse of pale skin. Though her figure wasn't particularly voluptuous, she wore a pair of Chanel high heels. Despite her youthful appearance, her tone and the way she interacted with the man suggested she was far from naive.
Hearing her words, Wei Shaoting, who was leaning on a cane, frowned. He didn't want to waste time here. Bags, no matter how expensive, were all the same to him. His priority was to finish this and attend to more important matters. He cast a glance at the woman, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face, but he patiently nodded.
She was merely a tool that held his interest for now. He'd give her another five minutes. If she continued to act out, he would completely lose interest in her.
Seeing Wei Shaoting nod, the woman's face lit up. She had been a little afraid of her earlier theatrics, but now her fear dissipated, believing the young master was genuinely fond of her. After this brief test, she shed her act of pretense. She decided not to push her luck further, thinking that with his apparent favor, this might be her chance to climb the social ladder.
With this thought, the woman dropped her flirtatious facade and adopted an innocent expression. The speed of her role change surprised even Wei Shaoting, who had encountered many women. However, a hint of disgust soon flickered in his eyes. True innocence, he mused, couldn't be faked. He was reminded of a girl with twin ponytails he had met in an elevator long ago. Her shy, downcast gaze was genuine innocence, whereas this woman's forced shyness and coy demeanor struck him as repulsive.
"Fired? Isn't that... isn't that a bit much?" the manager hesitated, hearing the demand to fire Liu Jiali. He had to admit, the part-time girl was decent. She was a bit vain and often took photos with store items, but otherwise, she had no major flaws and was quite efficient. He was reluctant to let her go, as finding part-time help for such low pay was difficult these days.
"No, she must be fired. Otherwise, I won't buy this bag today, and I'll report you," the woman's attitude softened slightly, but she remained firm. After all, the fault was clearly on her side, and anyone would react similarly upon discovering their newly purchased bag had been used for photos.
Glancing at the bodyguards surrounding Wei Shaoting, the manager wiped the sweat from his brow. These people clearly weren't to be trifled with; they were likely important figures. If they were to file a complaint, he might even lose his job.
"Madam, how about this, we sit down and discuss..."
"There's nothing to discuss. I'm in a hurry. If you keep dawdling, you won't even make this sale," the woman continued her tirade, completely oblivious to the man behind her taking a step back.
Hearing this, the manager knew the woman had issued an ultimatum. Gritting his teeth, he decided. Firing her it was. If he couldn't find a replacement, he'd just have to work harder himself.
"Liu Jiali, starting tomorrow... you don't need to come to work!"