"Tonight? Where are we going?" Yang Chen asked, confused.
"A few young teachers from the school's English department organized a welcome party for me. They said it's at 'Tianfu Kingdom' on the bar street. I... I've never been to that kind of place, but I didn't want to refuse everyone, so I thought of asking you to accompany me..." Li Jingjing explained, her confidence diminishing as she spoke.
In reality, Li Jingjing felt lost and disheartened after learning about Yang Chen's marriage. It was only when Yang Chen decisively helped her resolve the difficulties with the Chen family that she realized her "Yang Chen" hadn't abandoned her. Though she felt upset about Yang Chen's marriage, she couldn't suppress her urge to see him.
When Yang Chen mentioned he was coming to see her today, she couldn't sleep well the whole night. Li Jingjing didn't know how to face Yang Chen, but upon seeing him, she realized that not much had changed. She could still smile happily in front of Yang Chen and blush shyly over trivial matters.
However, when she made the request for Yang Chen to accompany her to a nightclub, Li Jingjing became fearful. She was afraid that Yang Chen would refuse due to his changed status, and even more afraid that he hadn't planned on accepting her small request in the first place.
In the midst of these swirling thoughts, just when Li Jingjing was feeling somewhat disappointed, she heard Yang Chen's hearty acceptance. "No problem!"
"Really?" Li Jingjing was overjoyed and grabbed onto Yang Chen's arm. "Yang Chen, you're really going to accompany me?"
Yang Chen playfully flicked the girl's nose with a doting expression. It was these simple gestures that evoked pity. "Look at how happy you are. Remember, you're a teacher and need to maintain your image."
"But I'm just happy..." Li Jingjing stuck out her tongue and still didn't let go of his hand.
Glancing at the time on the wall, Yang Chen saw that it was a little past 2 PM. After some thought, he asked, "Jingjing, do you have anything else to do this afternoon?"
"I don't have anything else. I only have classes in the morning. Since it's just the beginning of the school year, I'm not too busy," Li Jingjing replied honestly.
Yang Chen smiled meaningfully and said, "Then let's go somewhere before heading there. Since they chose Tianfu Kingdom, it wouldn't be appropriate to just go there casually."
After sorting out some miscellaneous matters, Yang Chen and Li Jingjing walked out of the school gate and got into his car.
Li Jingjing looked inside the BMW with surprise. "Yang Chen, when did you buy a sedan?" Although she didn't know much about car brands, she could tell that the car's class was not low.
"Oh, I started a new job that requires driving, so I bought it," Yang Chen didn't explain much. He couldn't possibly say that he just took it from his wife's garage.
Li Jingjing didn't think much about it since she didn't understand and asked, "Yang Chen, where are you taking me? It's still early. The teachers said the party starts at 6 p.m."
"We're going to buy clothes. After all, you're my Li Jingjing. If we compare unfavorably with others at Tianfu Kingdom, it won't be good," Yang Chen smiled.
"Is it embarrassing for me to dress like this?" Li Jingjing lowered her head, feeling a bit self-conscious.
Yang Chen sighed helplessly. "Jingjing, that's not what I meant. It's just that you haven't been to Tianfu Kingdom, so you're not familiar with it. Based on my knowledge of the bar street, it's not as casual as other KTVs or bars. Simply put, it's a high-end nightclub. Your colleagues chose that place, which means they're wealthy. It's not a big deal if you usually dress more casually, but if you attend the welcome party they've prepared for you there, it would be inappropriate, not just for yourself but also for them. Of course, in case there are some particularly snobbish people, wearing nicer clothes can shut them up and not ruin the mood."
"I think the teachers at school treat me well... They shouldn't mock me, right?" Li Jingjing bit her lip and hesitated.
"Jingjing..." Yang Chen said while driving, "You've graduated from university for a while now. You should face the realities of society. There are some things that you can't be casual about, even though others might be. Once you enter this society, you can only try to adapt as much as possible. There's no need to be sad or repulsed."
"I... I understand," Li Jingjing nodded. "Thank you, Yang Chen. I won't dwell on it. It's just that I'm still not used to it."
"I'll help you get used to it," Yang Chen said with a relaxed smile.
Within half an hour, the car stopped at Zhonghai Tower. The tower housed various clothing brands from around the world, saving Yang Chen the trouble of searching for them elsewhere. It was Yang Chen's first time visiting a large shopping mall since returning to the country. In the morning, he had converted the "extorted" cheque into cash at the bank and obtained a card. Now, he finally had some capital in his pocket, which gave him a sense of confidence as he took Li Jingjing in the elevator. In the past, even if he wanted to buy clothes, he would have had to borrow money from someone.
Li Jingjing had never been to such a grand and perfumed place to buy clothes. She felt a bit nervous as she clung to Yang Chen's arm. With her naturally pure and beautiful face, combined with her current dependent look, many passersby couldn't help but turn their heads for a second glance.
After passing by stores like Louis Vuitton, Hermès, and Chanel, Yang Chen frowned and sighed, "It seems these stores are even more expensive than I imagined. How about we go to Balenciaga and take a look?" Although he had some money on him, he wasn't ready to buy clothes that cost thousands of dollars.
Li Jingjing had no idea about the significance of these brands. She simply found the clothes in those stores very beautiful, although some were embarrassing. She obediently nodded and said, "I'll listen to you, Yang Chen. Let's not buy anything too expensive. I... I'm afraid we won't have enough money." As she spoke, she touched her small handbag.
Yang Chen smiled knowingly and couldn't help but pinch the girl's elastic and adorable face. "I'll buy you the clothes today."
"But..."
"No 'buts'!" Yang Chen immediately interrupted. "Consider it as a debt you owe me, and you can pay me back when you earn money in the future."
Li Jingjing could only obediently agree, feeling a hint of joy in her heart.
As expected, the clothes at the Balenciaga boutique were slightly cheaper than Yang Chen had anticipated. This French brand, with decades of history, always emphasized simplicity, elegance, and a pure style, which suited the approach of buying clothes for Li Jingjing.
Upon entering the store, a saleswoman warmly approached them, saying, "Sir and Madam, is there anything specific you'd like to take a look at? The latest styles from this season just arrived yesterday. Why don't you come inside, and I'll introduce them to both of you?"
"Oh, there's no need to trouble you. We can choose by ourselves," Yang Chen politely declined the saleswoman's offer and took Li Jingjing's hand, heading towards the women's section. He assessed Li Jingjing's figure while personally selecting clothes for her.
Since it was still a working day and daytime, the store wasn't crowded. Several saleswomen, curious to see a young man helping his girlfriend choose women's clothing, cast glances their way.
Li Jingjing felt a mix of curiosity and touched emotions as Yang Chen attentively evaluated her and selected clothes for her. The sadness she had felt earlier seemed to dissipate like smoke.
At that moment, Yang Chen suddenly pondered something, nodded as if he had made a decision, and turned to Li Jingjing, saying, "Jingjing, take off your clothes."