Chapter 504: Chapter 504: Farce
Ever since Ariel entered the store, she had noticed the two approaching her. She looked at them dispassionately, indifferent to their theatrics, not even sparing them a direct glance. But now that they pointed their swords at her, Ariel finally devoted a smidgen of attention to them.
"I spotted this dress first. If you want to buy it, you’ll have to wait until I’ve decided. Shopping means adhering to shopping manners," Ariel remarked, glancing with disdain at the woman who inexplicably seemed proud of herself.
The woman, who had been lost in admiration of Ariel’s stunning beauty, finally snapped back to reality. She reluctantly tore her infatuated gaze away from Ariel, and with a pair of eyes cooler than ever, addressed the two incoming individuals, "Sorry, you two, but this lady was the first to see the dress. If you’re interested in buying, please line up and wait."
The woman was caught off guard by the store clerk’s words, and a flush of embarrassment and anger crossed her face, "I noticed the craftsmanship of this dress and it looks quite high-end, are you sure this woman can afford it? She’s probably just trying it on because it looks nice. I’ve seen many women like her who are penny-pinching; they can’t afford it but still want to try it on. You’ll only be wasting time on her. Better to get her to take it off and pass it to us sooner."
The woman assessed Ariel with a particularly critical eye, as if convinced that Ariel was a penniless pauper.
Ariel couldn’t help but chuckle at the certainty in the woman’s gaze, "Don’t you folks in China have a saying that you can’t judge a person by their appearance? Also, with my looks, I surely don’t appear to be dirt-poor, right? So I’m curious, where did you get the conclusion that I’m broke? Did you take a peek at my bank balance?" Ariel gave the woman a half-smile, casually grabbing a dark green hat from the store and placing it on her head, leisurely adjusting it in front of the mirror.
Even though Ariel wasn’t looking at the woman, the woman felt like Ariel was ridiculing her through the mirror, leaving her almost breathless with suffocation at the very thought.
"You’re a foreigner, showing off your Chinese to me?! What, do you think just because you know a couple of idioms, you’re amazing? Do you think that qualifies you to lecture me? Remember, you’re standing on our Chinese soil now, not abroad. I’m Chinese, and I’m buying clothes from a store owned by my fellow people in my own country, what does that have to do with you, a foreigner? You’d better go back where you came from before you disgrace yourself here; be careful, you might end up not even being able to buy clothes and being kicked out instead."
Seeing that she was losing the argument to Ariel, the woman resorted to her status as a native, hoping to stir a sense of solidarity among the store staff and elevate herself once more. She warned Ariel, "On our Chinese turf, you foreigner better recognize your position and behave, understand? We Chinese are very united, so watch out that your verbal skirmishes don’t leave you with nothing in the end," she said threateningly.
"I don’t want to burst your bubble, but I must say that your statements are full of holes. Firstly, no Chinese law states that a foreigner must step aside for a local when buying clothes, even if the outsider spotted it first. There’s no rule allowing staff to kick out a foreigner for not abiding by this so-called custom."
Having found a suitable angle, Ariel carefully secured the hat, admiring her more beautiful reflection with a sweet smile. Maybe because she was in a fairly good mood, Ariel’s voice was calm and even had an inexplicable tenderness that made people feel warm.
Ariel did not give the other party any time to retort, continuing, "Secondly, I don’t quite understand how unity and buying things are related. Does your unity mean that goods in the store will choose you? Those are my two questions. I was wondering if you could clear these up for me, and I am willing to pay for the explanation."
Ariel’s words felt like an invisible slap, harshly striking the woman, making her expression even more twisted, ruining the only semblance of grace her homely face possessed.
"Don’t make that face at me, you look really ugly," Ariel closed her eyes with a look of disdain, her comment cutting like a razor-sharp knife, piercing the woman’s heart without giving her a chance to respond.
The words Ariel had just spoken could be tolerated by the woman, but the word ugly – no woman could put up with that. Inevitably, her temper exploded. Like a madwoman, she shoved her boyfriend aside and approached Ariel, ready to slap her across the face.
"You’re the ugly one, your entire family are ugly freaks," the woman shouted furiously as she attempted to smack Ariel’s face, hoping to swell her beautiful features into an unrecognizable state. Only then would she feel her anger subside.
But her hand was stopped midair by Ariel, unable to move forward, "A real lady shouldn’t resort to violence, and you are indeed very ugly. If you don’t believe me, why don’t you ask your boyfriend’s opinion?" Ariel’s smile appeared, her gentle voice carrying an undertone that sent shivers through the heart.
The woman felt a chill wherever she touched Ariel, leaving her without thought as she turned to her boyfriend for help, "Are you still my boyfriend or not? Seeing your girlfriend being hit and you’re just standing there? Get over here and help, or do you agree with her and think I’m an ugly freak too, so you just stand by watching?"
The woman’s screeching voice stabbed at the man’s ears like a sharp blade, almost piercing his eardrum. Covering his ears, he glanced from Ariel to his girlfriend, "Of course, you’re the most beautiful to me, no other woman could catch my eye."
"Then what are you doing standing there, not coming to hit her? Someone bullies your woman and you just do nothing?" The fire in her eyes almost flared as she spoke, "Do you need me to teach you even this simple thing? I used to think you were poor at business and wasted money, but that’s fine since my family is rich. However, I didn’t expect you wouldn’t even stand up for your woman. You’re as worthless as garbage. I’m telling you, today if you don’t settle this woman to my satisfaction, our engagement is off, and you can forget about marrying me."
The woman’s words struck like a giant slap to the man’s face, trampling his dignity underfoot, turning his face red with embarrassment and anger. Though his fists clenched tightly, he didn’t resist her words. Instead, he submissively approached Ariel, raising his hand high, ready to strike her face, his eyes filled with madness and resentment.
He resented Ariel for intercepting his girlfriend. If she hadn’t intervened, none of this would have happened, and he wouldn’t feel so humiliated. If his girlfriend had injured Ariel, he would have paid for medical bills, so why should he intervene?
At this time, Ariel was using both hands to hold the woman back, leaving no spare hand to block the man’s slap. It seemed inevitable that Ariel would be hit. The woman restrained by Ariel looked at her with a triumphant glint in her eye. Ariel also closed her eyes, yet only she knew how many grimly schemes for this foolish couple flashed through her mind in that brief moment.