Chen Peiling wanted to cry out loud. She had never even imagined getting stuck in such kind of situation. Her anxious eyes met the shop manager who signalled her to come downstairs.
The shop manager was equally frightened and only wished for Chen Peiling to follow whatever Old Stewardess would tell her to. That was the only way to get out of this harmlessly.
Making her way down, Chen Peiling stopped moving her feet at least ten feet away from Old Stewardess. If earlier she felt intimidated, now she felt like a peasant who had been presented in front of the monarch to hear the deserved punishment.
Old Stewardess opened her mouth, but Chen Peiling instantly went on her knees and cried, "Miss Stewardess! I am sorry! I didn't mean to disturb you! Believe me, I am not a suspicious person! I am a mere commoner who provides for her family!"
The shop Manager was thunderstruck beyond words. M-Miss? Her lips parted in shock as she awkwardly glanced at the Old Stewardess. W-asn't...wasn't she too old to be referred 'miss'?
The atmosphere turned awkward.
"Miss Stewardess, don't get angry! We did nothing wrong. I am barely accompanying Sister Zhao to select outfits for her. And that's when I saw you and grew curious and...and came down." As a pet pleasing its owner, her voice came meek at the end.
Old Stewardess had gone rigid right after the word 'miss'. Her stare had unknowingly turned into a glare while looking at the body fallen on her knees. "Stand up."
Her cold voice resonated through the stoned walls.
Chen Peiling wept in her own world and unintentionally ignored the command that was pitched at her. The shop manager had been working here for a decade and had welcomed the Old Stewardess every month since years. They might have never talked but she was familiar with her personality.
The Old Stewardess aura was turning ugly.
The shop manager couldn't take it anymore so hurriedly rushed to Chen Peiling and patted on her head. "Just get up. There is no need for all of this."
Chen Peiling felt a soft touch on her head and looked up. The black shoes supporting a set of long legs that were carrying even stretched upper body filled her teary vision.
The face of that body assured her with her eyes.
Just stand up! Follow what she had been saying!
Chen Peiling looked behind her only to find the darkened face of Old Stewardess. She looked angrier. Why?
Chen Peiling shook her head at the shop manager who hissed, "Don't make her more angry by not following her words."
The shop manager let go of her as soon as she was up and let the Old Stewardess speak. "Who are you?"
Chen Peiling uttered without thinking straight. "Personal Assistant."
Old Stewardess gave her an intense glare. The shop manager mouthed from behind, Name!
"My name? Uh, my name, C-Chen Peiling." Chen Peiling continued to stare at the floor as if it was the most interesting thing.
"Look at me while speaking."
On hearing the authorization, she almost jumped before pulling her face up. Her eyes which seemed to be yelling, 'I am at your mercy!' met the indifferent eyes of the Old Stewardess.
It was at this moment shop manager interrupted, "Old Stewardess, apologies for letting someone else be here at this time but..." She halted and looked at Chen Peiling before getting near Old Stewardess's ear and whispered. "Miss Liu sent them here. She personally ordered to serve them well and let them decide patiently."
Old Stewardess's eyebrows rose on their own accord, and she looked at Chen Peiling once more; more like scanned her.
Personally ordered...that was too much for someone who appeared rather ordinary.
"Who is with you?" Old Stewardess didn't bother asking what she was doing here because she had already blurted all that out.
"Sister Zhao."
"Call her."
With that, Chen Peiling began shaking like a leaf under the fierce winds. Sister Zhao had already warned her to stay in one place without moving.
Chen Peiling fearfully looked at the Old Stewardess and tried to negotiate. "Miss Stewardess, is it necessary to call her? I mean...I was at the fault..." Chen Peiling stopped when she saw Old Stewardess raising her one eyebrow.
Old Stewardess sideways gave a glance to the shop manager who nodded. But before the shop manager could have proceeded with actions, Zhao Yuhui was already trailing down.
Zhao Yuhui had kept the magazine down and was flipping through another one when she felt something was amiss.
Chen Peiling did not make any noise and was sitting obediently which caused her lips to arch in the corners. Maybe she should buy a meal for her later on.
With that thought, she turned sideways but didn't find Chen Peiling there. Zhao Yuhui was confused and looked to the other side.
After keeping the magazine down that she had opened to read, Zhao Yuhui got up to look for her dear assistant. Thinking Chen Peiling must be hopping around here somewhere, she quickly went through the second floor but that went in vain when she did not find even her scent lingering in the air.
Zhao Yuhui pursed her lips and went to the washroom. It was the only place left where she should be.
*Knock knock*
"Chen Peiling? Are you here?"
No reply came.
Zhao Yuhui turned the knob and there was no one standing by the washbasins. She tapped the doors of all the stalls with her two fingers however none of them turned out to be locked.
She wasn't here too.
It meant she wasn't on this floor at all.
"Where did she go?" muttered Zhao Yuhui to herself after she was back to the lounge.
Zhao Yuhui stood in a place while biting her lower lip and keeping one of her hands on her waist. There was a third floor too but there was no way to there from here. If one wanted to go there, one needed to go down and took the VIP lift.
The shop assistant had mentioned that rarely someone was ever needed to bring there because it had extremely expensive dresses.
Zhao Yuhui stood in that posture for good five minutes and as if coming to the conclusion, she proceeded towards the staircase.
Zhao Yuhui had not even crossed half of the stairs and already saw Chen Peiling in the centre of the crowd.
Seeing the pitiful back, she got worried and hurried to her. "Chen Peiling? Are you okay? What happened?"